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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL – MEMBERSHIP 28,000 – HOME OFFICE: 205 MADISON STREET, PASSAIC, N.J. 07055 – www.slovakcatholicsokol.org

Periodical Postage Paid at original entry of Passaic, N.J., 07055 and additional mailing offi ces

VOLUME CIV PASSAIC, N.J., DECEMBER 16 PASSAIC, N.J., DECEMBER 16, 2015, 2015 NUMBER 5058

Slovensk¥ Katolícky Sokol

Za Boha a Národ For God and Nation

A Joyous Christmas Season to all our Members and Friends as We Celebrate the Holy Year of Mercy as Proclaimed by Pope Francis

Virgin and Child - Madonna of HumilityFra Angelico, Galleria Sabauda, Turin, Italy

Unto us a Child is given,Christ our Savior bring release;Counselor, Eternal FatherGod made man, and Prince of Peace.

Born of Mary, gentle virgin,By the Spirit of the Lord;From eternal ages spoken:This the mighty Father’s Word.

Našim členom a čitateľom prejemepožehnané a veselé Vianoce!

PAGE 2 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, DECEMBER 16, 2015

(Continued on page 8)

Thoughts from our Supreme Chaplain

Poinsettias at Christmasby Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic

Poinsettia plants are native to Central America, especially an area of southern Mexico known as ‘Taxco del Alarcon’ where they fl ower during the winter. The ancient Az-tecs called them ‘cuetlaxochitl’. The Aztecs had many uses for them including using the fl owers (actually special types of leaves known as bracts rather than being fl owers) to make a purple dye for clothes and cosmetics and the milky white sap was made into a medicine to treat fevers. (Today we call the sap latex!) The poinsettia was made widely known because of a man called Joel Roberts Poinsett (that’s why we call them Poinsettia!). He was the fi rst Ambassador from the USA to Mexico in 1825. Poinsett had some greenhouses on his plantations in South Carolina, and while visiting the Taco area in 1828, he became very interested in the plants. He immediately sent some of the plants back to South Carolina, where he began growing the plants and sending them to friends and botanical gardens. One of the friends he sent plants to was John Barroom of Phila-delphia, who gave the plant to his friend, Robert Buist, a plants-man from Pennsylvania. Robert Buist was probably the fi rst person to have sold the poinsettias under their botanical, or latin name, name ‘Euphorbia pulcherrima’ (it means, ‘the most beautiful Euphorbia’).

It is thought that they became known as Poinset-tia in the mid 1830’s when people found out who had fi rst brought them to America from Mexico. There is an old Mexican legend about how Poinsettia’s and Christmas come together, it goes like this: There was once a poor Mexican

girl called Pepita who had no present to give the the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked to the chapel, sadly, her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up. ‘Pepita’, he said “I’m sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him will make Jesus Happy.” Pepita didn’t know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red fl owers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red fl owers were known as the ‘Flores de Noche Buena’, or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’. The shape of the poinsettia fl ower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity.

2015 Christmas Greeting from our Protector, Bishop Jospeh V. Adamec“He (Joseph) went to register with Mary, who was promised in mar-riage to him. She was pregnant and, while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. She gave birth to her fi rst-born son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn.” (Luke 2:5-7)

Dear Sisters and Brothers of the Slovak Catholic Sokol,

The actual scene at the original manger was not nearly as orderly as the ones that we see depicted today at Christmas time. However, it would appear to me that the people who witnessed the

one in Bethlehem were much more at peace and experienced much more joy than do we. As we marvel at the incarnation of our God into our world over two thousand years ago, we tend to disregard the fact that the Son of God also came to be with us in 2015. No one made room for the Christ Child at the time of his birth, simply because they did not recognize him. Certainly, if they had, someone would have made room for him at the

inn. It is no different today. The Lord still seeks to be recognized and to fi nd room in our hearts. Our observance of the birth of the Savior is an observance of Jesus’ birth into the history of all humankind. But, we are likewise called to recognize him as our God coming to be specifi cally with us in our own personal his-tory—our everyday lives. As a new year of grace begins and con-tinues, may we make room and welcome Jesus into our midst. In that way, the manger scenes in our churches and homes will become a true refl ection of our own openness to the Lord’s loving presence. In Bethlehem, Jesus needed only one room. Today, He needs only one soul. Won’t you be the one to let the Son of God be born in you? That is my hope and prayer for every one of us. If we do, there will truly be a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year of 2016! Fraternally yours in the Lord,

Most Reverend Joseph V. Adamec Bishop Emeritus of Altoona-Johnstown Protector, Slovak Catholic Sokol

HOLIDAY HOMEOFFICE CLOSING

In observance of Christmas, the Home Offi ce will be closed for business on Friday, Decem-ber 25. The Home Offi ce will reopen for business on Monday, December 28. Likewise, to commemorate the New Year’s observance, the Home Offi ce will be closed for business on Friday, January 1, 2016. The Home Offi ce will reopen for business on Monday, January 4, 2016. Regular offi ce hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A joyous Christ-mas observance as well as a happy, healthy New Year 2016 to all our members and friends.

Christmas Ornaments The Christmas tree represents a symbolic ladder to the heavens. As a result of this, ornaments are hung on the tree depending on what their symbolic positions are in life. As an example, vegetables and fruits

are closest to the earth. Therefore, they are hung on the lowest third of the Christmas tree. Houses, churches, people and ani-mals should be placed in the mid-dle region of the tree. Birds, angels,

moons, and stars should be hung from the middle of the tree to the top to symbolize their closeness to the heavens. Angel: Represents the angel who appeared to the Blessed Mother, asking her to be the mother of Je-sus. Popcorn: Signifi es the rope Jo-seph held as he led the donkey to Bethlehem. Walnuts: Are for the gift of the three wise men. Oranges: A special fruit only available during the Christmas sea-son. Wheat: A symbol of life, pros-perity and nourishment. Cloth at the base of the Christ-mas tree: Represents Jesus’ swad-dling clothes. Apples: Remind us of Adam and Eve. White dove: Placed near the top of the tree to evoke peace. Carrot: Often given to a new wife to bring good luck in the kitchen. Mushrooms: Considered to be lucky and means good fortune to be at hand. Pickle: Hidden on the Christmas tree whoever fi nds it gets a special gift. Corn: Symbolizes prosperity and fertility. Pineapple: Symbol of friendship and hospitality. Owl: A symbol of wisdom. Musical instruments: Symbol-ize the joy that music and singing brings during the Christmas sea-son. Stars, Moons and Angels: sym-bolize the closest you can get to heaven. A blessed Christmas to all!

January 1, 2016 marks the 23rd anniversary of the independence of Slovakia. We rejoice with the land of our ancestors, located in the very heart of Europe, as it commemorates this milestone in its storied his-tory. Millions of Americans and Canadians who trace their ancestry to Slovakia are justifi ably proud of the country’s achievements and ac-complishments as it stands among the free and independent nations of the world. As our American ally and NATO partner, we pray that 2016 may bring continued economic and social success. Happy anniversary and Zdar Boh!

Pope Francis offi cially opened the Holy Year of Mercy on De-cember 8 by opening the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica. Vatican workers used a pickax to break through a portion of the wall that covers the Holy Door from inside the basilica. They re-moved a sealed metal box that, in keeping with tradition, had been embedded in the wall at the end of the Jubilee Year 2000. The

Holy Year of Mercy Opens

zinc box, which was opened with a blowtorch, contained the keys and handles for opening the holy door, commemorative medals and a papal gold coin marking the last Holy Year. The traditional tree and Nativity scene that dominate the center of St. Peter’s Square was also unveiled on December 8, earlier than usual in order to be ready for the opening of the Year

SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, DECEMBER 16, 2015 PAGE 3

From the Desk of the Supreme President

Thoughts on Fraternalismby Larry M. Glugosh

(Continued from page 2)

Sokol CalendarSAT.DEC.19

Assembly 79 children’s Christ-mas party at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club, Railroad St., Lilly, Pa. beginning at 2 p.m.

SUN.DEC.20 Assembly 72 children’s Christ-

mas party at the Slovak Club, 5th and Grove Sts., North Catasauqua, Pa. beginning at 1:30 p.m.; Santa will arrive at 2 p.m. For reserva-tions call Margaret Hogan 610-217-4916 or Stephen Roman 610-262-8301.

Traditional Christmas concert by the choir of the former Most Holy Trinity Slovak Parish under the direction of Stephen J. Knoblock at the Church of St. Casimir, 239 Nepperhan Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. be-ginning at 3 p.m., dinner to follow in the church hall, $35.00 per per-son concert and dinner or $10.00 for concert alone available at the door; for reservations call Marge Saladak at 914-476-6711.

Assembly 162 annual meeting followed by traditional children’s Christmas party in SS. Cyril and Methodius Church Hall, 213 Ack-erman Ave., Clifton, N.J. begin-

ning at 12:30 p.m. SAT.JAN.9

Assembly 16 annual meeting at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club, 2912 East Carson St., South Side, Pittsburgh, Pa., executive meeting begins at 10 a.m., general meeting at 11 a.m., luncheon to follow.

JAN.15-17 Annual meeting of the Supreme

Physical Fitness Board at the Homewood Suites Hotel, Pitts-burgh, Pa.

SUN.JAN.17 Assembly 79 annual meeting at

the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club, Railroad St., Lilly, Pa. beginning at 2 p.m. a luncheon will follow be-ginning at 3:30 p.m.

Limbora Slovak Folk Ensemble auditions, all genders, ages 13 and older; male singing group Pristasi, all ages; at the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Ave., As-toria, N.Y. beginning at 2 p.m., to register call Stano at 917-560-9658.

FRI.JAN.22 43rd annual March for Life in

opposition to the scourge of abor-tion in our country; march with the Slovak Catholic Fraternal societies

Supreme Physical Fitness Board Annual Meeting set for Jan. 15-17 in Pittsburgh Anticipating the new administration of our organization which begins on January 1, 2016, the Supreme Physical Fitness Board

will host its annual meeting the weekend of Janu-ary 15-17, 2016 at the Homewood Suites Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa. The meeting opens on Friday evening, January 15 at 7 p.m. The meeting will offer the opportunity to review and discuss the past year’s various sporting activities, including the 47th International Slet, held at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pa. this past July. The annual meeting also offers the opportunity to discuss ways in which to improve and enhance

our future sporting events as well as fraternal activities during the coming year and beyond. Observations as well as recommendations are welcome from any Group, Assembly, Wreath or individual member as how to im-prove our future Slets as well as our annual sporting activities. Such thoughts and recommendations may do so by forwarding them to the Home Offi ce prior to January 5, 2016. Suggestions should be addressed to: Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C., Supreme Secretary, Slovak Catholic Sokol, P.O. Box 899, 205 Madison St., Passaic, NJ 07055. The Supreme Physical Fitness Board looks forward to hearing from the membership as to how we can enhance and improve our sporting events. We also look to fi nding ways to increase participa-tion at our various tournaments promoting the best traditions of our organization mirroring our ageless slogan of “A sound mind in a sound body.” Thanks for being a part of the greatest Slovak Catho-lic athletic fraternal in the United States and Canada. Zdar Boh! James C. Matlon Supreme Director elect of Sports & Athletics

Wishing all our Members and FriendsA Very Merry Christmas and a Happy,

Healthy, Grace-Filled New Year from the Home Office Staff

Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C.Supreme Secretary

Clarissa SerranoSecretary to the

Supreme Secretary

Daniel F. TanzoneEditor

Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C.Underwriter

Livia KarakEditorial Staff

Melanie M. SasielaBookkeeper

Lorrie PinckClerical Staff

Frank RevisoreCustodian

Albert J. Suess, Jr., F.I.C.Director of Sales

& Marketing

Kelly D. MovillaClerical Staff

Kevin R. GuillenClerical Staff

OUR NEXT ISSUE The issue of December 30, 2015 will be our traditional Review of Fraternal Activities in magazine format. The next regular issue of the Slovak Catholic Falcon will be that of January 13, 2016. Deadline for all photos and information for this issue is Thursday, January 7, 2016.

in Washington, D.C.; buses depart from the home offi ce of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association in Beachwood, Oh.,reservations at tel. 800-464-4642, 216-464-8015, www.fcsla.com and the home of-fi ce of the Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., for reservations call Theresa Kluchinski at 888-834-6614 or 570-823-3515 or email [email protected].

SAT.JAN.30 23rd annual Slovak Ball hosted

by the Slovak American Cultural Center of New York at The Royal Manor, Garfi eld, N.J. reception at 7 p.m., dinner and dancing to follow until 1 a.m.; $130 per person, for reservations call Zuzana Krcmar tel. 973-357-1209 or email [email protected].

As I write my fi nal message to our Slovak Catholic Sokol membership as your Supreme President, I have to pause and refl ect on the fact that four years have come and gone. It is hard to believe that a full year of memorable fraternal activity has oc-curred and in just a few weeks, we will all celebrate a joyous Christmas holiday. Where has the year gone? Have you made any New Year reso-lutions yet? I would imagine that many of our Slovak Catholic Sokol mem-bers are quite busy preparing for the Christmas holiday season with their shopping, wrapping, baking and cooking. Like many of you, we will also begin to decorate our homes, Christmas trees and install our colorful house lights as we pre-pare to host our family events and create some wonderful memories. As part of this seasonal preparation, we should also take a moment to ap-preciate all of God’s blessings and give thanks for our families, friends and health. As part of this refl ection, I would like to thank our Supreme Offi cers, local offi cers and youthful leaders for their tireless and devoted efforts throughout the past year. I would also like to thank our home offi ce staff for all of their support, commitment and dedication to our membership. Everyone contributed to our 2015 success. As many of you have seen from our recent results the organization has grown positive membership for the 3rd consecutive year. It is indeed an incredible accomplishment that has been primarily driven from our sales and marketing program that we launched fi ve years ago under the leadership of our Director of

Sales and Marketing, Brother Albert J. Suess Jr., our Supreme Secretary Ste-ven M. Pog-orelec FIC and with the cooperation, l e a d e r s h i p and support of the Board of Directors. As a team, we worked closely with our professional advisors, our home offi ce staff and our external sales agents to achieve our objectives. Given all of our accomplishments over the past 2 terms as your Su-preme President, the achievement to generate positive year over year membership growth based on our strategic business plan is the person-al highlight and legacy that we leave behind for the newly elected board. Our annual sales results continue to be very healthy, as our premium income increased by almost $800k and we have increased the face val-ue of our life insurance and annuity policies by over $30 million dollars. As I have indicated in the past, these results compare to $2-3M per year in sales, before we changed the vi-sion and direction for the society. In addition, Brother Steve managed to support this growth and volume with roughly the same home offi ce staff and budget. I wish to extend my deepest and heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in our 2015 ac-complishments. Recently, the Board of Directors held their fi nal quarterly meeting last week and we reviewed our overall fi nancial health, sales results, spiri-


REFLECTOR ... Jotings fr om Sokol and Slovak life

Fourth Sunday of Advent - December 20th

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lordshould come to me?Mary set outand traveled to the hill country in hasteto a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariahand greeted Elizabeth.When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,the infant leaped in her womb,and Elizabeth, fi lled with the Holy Spirit,cried out in a loud voice and said,“Blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb.And how does this happen to me,that the mother of my Lord should come to me?For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believedthat what was spoken to you by the Lordwould be fulfi lled,”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Solemnity of the Feast of the Holy Family of

Jesus, Mary and Joseph– December 27th

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,and when he was twelve years old,they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returningthe boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,but his parents did not know it.Thinking that he was in the caravan,they journeyed for a dayand looked for him among their relatives andacquaintances, but not fi nding him,they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.After three days they found him in the temple,sitting in the midst of the teachers,listening to them and asking them questions,and all who heard him were astoundedat his understanding and his answers.When his parents saw him,they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us?Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”But they did not understand what he said to them.He went down with them and came to Nazareth,and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heartand Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favorbefore God and man.

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Word of God...

The blessing of homes is awonderful Epiphany tradition20 + C + M + B + 16 While the blessing of homes in honor of the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord is not a distinctly Slovak tradition but is rather common to all of central and eastern Europe. The blessing of homes during the month of January takes place when we cel-ebrate Christ’s Epiphany. This tradition was common in years past among our Slovak parishes. Some continue this beautiful faith tradition. We celebrate the feast of the Epiphany on Sunday, January 6, 2016. If a priest or deacon is not available to visit and bless an individual home, blessed chalk may be used by the residents themselves to mark the doorposts. Bring the chalk to church and ask your priest or deacon to bless it. When you are ready to consecrate your home for the New Year 2016 mark each doorpost with the chalk and the above numerals. The initials remind us of the legendary names of the Magi - Caspar, Melchoir and Balthasar - and also stand for the Latin motto Christus Mansionem Benedicat (May Christ bless this house). The following prayer may be said to bless your home. Mark in your bible, Matthew 2:1-12. Pause for a moment to remember that God is near. Read the scrip-ture slowly. Then say this prayer. You may then wish to inscribe your doorpost. With a piece of chalk, write 20 + C + M + B + 16.

The Epiphany of the Lord God of Bethlehem and Cana, God of Jordan’s leaping waters, in baptism you bring us into your family. You wed us and embrace us as your beloved. May we fi ll our home with kindness to one another, with hospitality to guests, and with abundant care for every stranger. By the gentle light of a star, guide home all who seek you on paths of faith, hope and love. Then we will join the angels in proclaiming your praise: Glory in heaven and peace on earth, now and forever. Amen.

St. Simon the Apostle Parish to hostTraditional Vilija Dinner in Chicago Continuing in a long-standing tradition spanning more than three decades, St. Simon the Apostle Parish on Chicago’s south side, will host its traditional Slo-vak Vilija Dinner and Holiday Program on Sunday, December 20th. The afternoon program begins with Mass celebrated in Slovak at 1:30 p.m. in the church located at 5157 South California Ave., Chicago, Ill. Celebrant of the liturgy will be the Rev. Oleksandr Hoursky, C.M., a Vincentian priest. Father Oleksan-dr, a Slovak residing in Ukraine, will provide Slovak ministry at the parish during the coming months. Fol-lowing the liturgy, the Vilija dinner will begin at 2:30 p.m. in St. Simon the Apostle School Auditorium. All the traditional foods enjoyed at the Christmas eve meal in a Slovak home will be served. Tickets for the Vilija Dinner are $20.00 for adults. Children age 12 and younger are welcome free of charge. A cultural

program featuring the songs and dance traditions of the various regions of Slovakia will be provided by the Veselica Slovak Folk Ensemble of Chicago. For reservations call the rectory at 773-436-1045. An en-joyable afternoon is assured. Our Sokol, Assembly 11 is affi liated with this parish. St. Simon’s is the last of 10 parishes estab-lished to minister to the Slovak community in Chicago which still celebrates Mass in Slovak on Sundays. Slovak Vincentian priests from nearby DePaul University provide the Slovak ministry. St. Simon’s, established in 1926, is actually the young-est of the Chicagoland Slovak parishes. Two other parishes founded by Slovaks still function with ministry to the Latino community. They include St. Michael the Archangel, located in the city’s back-of-the-yards neighborhood, the oldest of the Slo-vak parishes established in 1898; and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the city’s near west side founded in 1903. The former Slovak parishes now shuttered include St. Joseph, founded in 1904; Holy Rosary, founded in 1906; St. John the Baptist, founded in 1909; Sacred Heart of Jesus, founded in 1911; and St. Paul in Chicago Heights, founded in 1927. Also shuttered has been SS. Cyril and Metho-dius Parish in Joliet, founded in 1900. The Joliet parish was originally a part of the Archdiocese of Chicago until 1949 when the Diocese of Joliet was erected.

43rd Annual March for Lifeset for Washington, D.C. 2016 marks 43 years since the U.S. Supreme Court decision, known as Roe v Wade, which legal-ized the taking of innocent life in abortion in our country. Pro-life proponents from across the coun-try will travel to our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C. on Friday, January 22, 2016 to participate in the 43rd annual March for Life. The event’s program ac-tually begins with the National Prayer Vigil for Life on Thursday evening, January 21 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The largest Catholic church in the United States, lo-cated at 398 Michigan Avenue, North West, located in the heart of our nation’s capital. The liturgy begins at 6:30 p.m. with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Arch-bishop of Galveston-Houston, Tex. as principal cel-ebrant and homilist. Hundreds of bishops and priests will concelebrate the liturgy. Through the night, a variety of religious devotions will be held through-out the shrine, concluding with a 7:30 a.m. Mass cel-ebrated in the great upper church. On Friday, January 22, the March for Life com-mences at 1 p.m. For more than a quarter century, members of the Slovak Catholic Sokol have joined with members of our three other Slovak Catholic fraternals, namely the First Catholic Slovak Union, the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association and the Ladies Pennsylvania Slovak Catholic Union, march-ing under the banner “Slovak Catholic Fraternals for Life.” Slovak Catholic fraternalists will once again gather at 12 noon at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street to join the line of march. We encourage our members from various parts of the country to participate in the March for Life. Buses depart from the home offi ce of the Ladies Pennsyl-vania Slovak Catholic Union in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. at 7 a.m. For reservations call President Theresa Kluchinski at 888-834-6614 or email [email protected]. Buses also depart from the home offi ce of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association in Beachwood, Oh. For reservations call Kelly at the FCSLA home offi ce at tel. 800-464-4642, ext. 1051 or email her at [email protected] for details. During this Year of Mercy, let us pledge our support for the Pro-Life movement and the sanctity of life. Let us once again affi rm our support and re-spect for the unborn, celebrating life from concep-tion to natural death.


ISSN: 0897-8107

Established April 15, 1911Official Publication of the Slovak Catholic Sokol

Issued Bi-Weekly

Daniel F. Tanzone, EditorEditorial office: (973) 777-4010

Annual Subscription RatesUnited States $40.00 – All others countries $45.00

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Slovak Catholic Falcon,

P.O. Box 899, 205 Madison Street,

Passaic, New Jersey 07055

Member of the Catholic Press

Association and the Slovak Newspapermen's

Association of America

Proprietor and Publisher

SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOLP.O. Box 899

205 Madison Street, Passaic, N.J. 07055Home Office: (973) 777-2605-06

WEB SITE –www.slovakcatholicsokol.org (Continued on page 13)

An outstanding fraternal benefi t

$63,000 in S.C.S. Scholarship GrantsAvailable to Eligible Members in 2016 We are pleased to announce that the Slovak Catholic Sokol will make available a total of $63,000 in scholarship grants to eligible members in 2016. Previous recipients of Slovak Catholic Sokol scholarship grants may reap-ply for a 2016 grant; however, per Convention mandate - a student may receive a maximum of two (2) Slovak Catholic Sokol scholarship grant awards in each category. A total of 30 Slovak Catholic Sokol college grants of $1,000 each, two Theodore and Mary Jane Rich Memorial Scholarships one for a male and female in the amount of $2,500 each, two Emil Slavik Memorial Scholarships one for a male and female in the amount of $2,000 each, one The Doctors’ Lesko Medical Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000, one Krista L. Glugosh Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1000 and three Slovak Catholic Sokol (SCS) Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1000. With one application you may apply for all college scholar-ship grants for which you are eligible. Note that only one grant per applicant will be awarded.

College scholarship eligibility requirements:Slovak Catholic Sokol (a total of 30, $1000 grants will be awarded) • Must have a minimum of $3,000 permanent Life Insurance Coverage • Must be a member of the Slovak Catholic Sokol for at least fi ve years. • Must have completed one semester of undergraduate studies as a FULL TIME student at an accredited college, university or professional school, or be enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program. • Must have an accumulated grade point average of at least 2.5 or better • One parent must be a Slovak Catholic Sokol member • Essay- “How has being a member of the Slovak Catholic Sokol infl uenced my life?”

Theodore and Mary Jane Rich (one male and one female grant in the amount of $2500 will be awarded) • Same requirements as for SCS scholarship AND • One parent must be of Slovak Ancestry • Must be majoring in medical curriculum

Emil Slavik (one male and one female grant in the amount of $2000 will be awarded) • Same requirements as for SCS scholarship AND • Both parents must be members of the Slovak Catholic Sokol • Must be majoring in liberal arts, the sciences, pre-law, pre-medical or business curriculum.

The Doctors’ Lesko Medical Memorial Scholarship (1 grant in the amount of $1000 will be awarded) • Same requirements as for SCS scholarship AND • Majoring in Nursing or Medical curriculum • One parent must be of Slovak AncestryKrista L. Glugosh Memorial Scholarship (1 grant in the amount of $1000 will be awarded) • Same requirements as for SCS scholarship AND • Majoring in curriculum with a focus in computer graphics, design or layout

Slovak Catholic Sokol Memorial Scholarship (3 grants in the amount of $1000 will be awarded to the applicant that best exem-plifi es the spirit of volunteerism) • Same requirements as for SCS scholarship • Essay- “Describe the one volunteer experience that made the biggest personal impact on you- how/why”.

The process of applying for any of the above college level scholarships is completely on-line. Applications and instructions are ONLY available on our website @ www.slovakcatholicsokol.org Questions regarding the Slovak Catholic Sokol Scholarship Program may be directed to:

Julie DobbsSupreme Vice-President

Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee

Join us for the43rd March for Life

Washington, D.C.January 22, 2016

THANK YOU Recently, we have had a tough couple of months. It seems like every week we hear of a senseless attack either domestically or abroad. When these awful events unfold and we watch the news or read the newspaper, your mind usually goes to thinking about your Family and their well-be-ing. You may fi nd yourself thinking of the families affected by a particu-

lar tragedy and wondering what they may be going through. As we go through our Holiday Season, let us also remember another group of individuals that sacrifi ce so much and allow us to live the lives that we do…our brave Men and Women that serve our Country. And what better way to show our support than to say, “Thank you.” Amillionthanks.org is a non-profi t organi-zation that provides support and appreciation to our active and veteran military men and women through sending letters and granting betterment

of life wishes, as well as providing higher education scholarships to their children. The organization was founded in 2004 by Shauna Flem-ing when she was 15 years old. The campaign began as a community service project in Orange County, California, with the goal of sending one million cards and letters of gratitude to our U.S. Military serving around the world. The project took off nationally three weeks after its initial launch as tens of thousands of letters poured in. As of 2015, this organization has distributed more than seven mil-lion letters to our troops stationed around the world. The organization now has over fi fty offi cial letter drop-off locations around the country to support the efforts of giving thanks. To honor their 10th anniversary, Amillionthanks started two new initiatives—granting wishes to our in-jured military personnel and funding higher education scholarships to the children of fallen military service men and women. Our brave men and women need to know we are behind them. This takes just a couple minutes of your time and it is a wonderful way to say “Thank you.” We can never say that important phrase enough in our lives, especially to those out there who defend us. In conclusion, I would also like to say “Thank You” to our Offi cers and Delegates at our recent Convention in Pittsburgh, PA for electing me to be your new Supreme Secretary. It has truly been an honor to be part of the Slovak Catholic Sokol since birth and it will be my pas-sion to uphold our values and ideals well into the future. I know I have big shoes to fi ll (size 13s to be exact!), but I will do everything in my power to make this Organization proud. I would also like to thank and congratulate our Supreme Secretary, Steven M. Pogorelec F.I.C., for his many years of service and guidance. He will surely be called upon for years to come but we may have to go through his Grandkids to see if he is available. I know that a busy schedule with “Papa” is in the works! I hope everyone has a safe and happy Holiday! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Zdar Boh! Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C., S.C.S. Underwriter

Lodge Jottings

LILLY, PAAssembly 79

The annual meeting of our lodge is scheduled for Sunday, January 17 at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club located on Railroad Street beginning at 2 p.m. All members are invited to attend. Reports of the offi cers will be presented, as well as plans for our upcoming fraternal activities in the new year will be discussed. Input from our members will insure the success of our projects. In addition information on our organization’s insurance and annuity products will be available. Election of offi cers to serve our lodge in the new year will take place. Following our business meeting, a picnic luncheon will be served be-ginning at 3:30 p.m. An enjoyable afternoon of traditional Sokol fel-lowship and camaraderie is assured. On behalf of the offi cers of As-sembly 79, may I extend to all our members best wishes for a New Year fi lled with good health, happi-ness and many of God’s continued blessings, may I remain Zdar Boh! Elizabeth Phillips Financial Secretary

PITTSBURGH, PAAssembly 16

The annual meeting of our lodge under the patronage of St. Gabriel the Archangel is scheduled for Saturday, January 9 at our Sokol Club, located at 2912 East Carson Street, South Side. The executive meeting begins at 10 a.m. with the general meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. Reports of the offi cers will be presented and plans for our future fraternal activities in the new year will be discussed. In-put from our members will insure the success of our various projects. All members are invited to partici-pate in the general meeting. At this meeting important business regard-ing the future of our Sokol Club will be discussed. Following the business meeting a luncheon will be enjoyed. For additional information, feel free to contact me at tel. 412-716-1402. We hope to see a good turnout of our members at this important meeting. In 2016, our Assembly celebrates its 109th anniversary. Our founders met on March 24, 1907 to establish a lo-cal lodge of the recently established Slovak Catholic Sokol. And the rest is history. In the name of all the offi cers of our lodge, may I extend to all a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year, 2016. Zdar Boh! Larry Werner Club Secretary


F I R S T S E S S I O NFriday, December 11, 2015 – 9:00 a.m.

Supreme President, Larry M. Glugosh Called to Order the Quarterly Meeting of the Supreme Board of Directors at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 11, 2015 in the Avion 1 Boardroom at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport Westshore Tampa, Florida and wel-comed all the members of the Board. Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic offered the Opening Prayer leading the Directors in the reading of the Prayer to Practice the Golden Rule. Supreme Vice-President, Julie Ann Dobbs led the Board members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Supreme Secretary, Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C. was asked to take the Roll Call and the following members responded:

Supreme Chaplain ................................................................... Rev. Andrew S. HvozdovicSupreme President ...................................................................................Larry M. GlugoshSupreme Vice-President ............................................................................ Julie Ann DobbsSupreme Secretary ...................................................................Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C.Supreme Treasurer ................................................................... Dennis J. Zifcak – Excused General Counsel ............................................................................John D. Pogorelec, Esq.Chairperson of the Supreme Auditors ..................................................Michael J. HorvathSupreme Director of Sports and Athletics ............................................Edward D. MoellerSupreme Physical Director ............................................................................Dusan DorichSupreme Physical Directress ..............................................................Kathleen S. Watkins

The record will show that nine members of the Board of Directors are present, and Su-preme Treasurer, Dennis J. Zifcak is excused due to medical reasons. Acknowledged. President Glugosh thanked Brother Steve and informed the Board members that they all have received the minutes from our last Board of Directors meeting and entertained a motion for their acceptance. There being no corrections, additions, or deletions to the minutes of the Supreme Board of Directors meeting held September 26, 2015 via a Conference Call and published in the October 21st, 2015 issue of the Slovak Catholic Falcon, General Counsel John D. Pogorelec, Esq. moved for the acceptance of the minutes, seconded by Chairperson of the Supreme Auditors, Michael J. Horvath. Approved. President Glugosh inquired if any Communications were received for presentation at the meeting. The Supreme Secretary reported that a written communication was received from our Supreme Treasurer requesting to be excused from the meeting due to a recent hip replace-ment surgery. Also, our Director of Sales and Marketing is unable to attend since he is recovering from a case of pneumonia and unable to travel. He indicated he would FedEx his report to the facility. Both Acknowledged. President Glugosh asked the Supreme Secretary in the absence of the Director of Sales and Marketing, Brother Albert J. Suess, Jr. F.I.C. if he can offer comments regarding the Membership/Sales and Marketing Report. Brother Steve reported that as of November 30, 2015, there are a total of 31,266 life insurance certifi cates in force and 706 annuities. The membership total is 28,366. We are down 108 certifi cates for the year, however we are plus 120 members for the year. Premium Income for the year amounted to $1,535,852.78 and Annuity Income is $5,780,366.89. President Glugosh informed the Board members that he has received an email copy of Brother Suess’ report since the FedExed ones did not arrive and reviewed the report with the Board members, Brother Larry reviewed the 2015 New Business Projections and gave an Analysis of the New Business comparing the results with 2014. This included both Life Insurance and Annuity Premium Income and Face Amounts based on our controlled growth of Sales. Other items reviewed and discussed included the Sokol Secure Fund with seventeen accounts amounting to $486,607.00 as of November 30, 2015, and proposed products and other suggestions for consideration by the Board. Brother Larry continued with the report and informed the Board members on the Ad-ministrative Software, Agent Recruitment, Marketing, Advertising, as well as Brother Al’s various activities and organizational meetings. President Glugosh then asked for a motion based on our review of the emailed report to accept the Membership/Sales and Marketing Report, so moved by Supreme Vice-President, Julie Ann Dobbs, seconded by Supreme Physical Director, Dusan Dorich.

Approved. Brother Secretary informed the Board members that he has been informed that Brother Suess has been selected by the Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh, (FSGP), as their 2016 Fraternalist of the Year. The Board members extended their congratulations to Brother Al on this honor and recognition, and a banquet will be held sometime in 2016 in Pittsburgh, PA by the F.S.G.P. member societies. Acknowledged. The Supreme President then asked Supreme Director of Sports and Athletics, Edward D. Moeller to present the Supreme Physical Fitness Board Report. Brother Moeller reported that the International Golf Tournament was held on August 14-16 at Mountain Valley in Barnesville, PA. A total of about 85 golfers were in attendance for the weekend. The Financial Report has been completed and forwarded to Headquarters with a refund check. A copy of the Financials have been forwarded to the Falcon for publica-tion. Brother Ed has continued to help with scheduling events for 2016 for our new Su-preme Sports Director. Below are the events that have been scheduled. The meeting of both the new and old Supreme Physical Fitness Board has been scheduled for the weekend of

January 15-17, 2016 at the Homewood Suites in Pittsburgh, PA. He has also stayed in contact with our current Supreme Vice-President to help with the transition into his new position of Supreme Vice-President effective January 1, 2016. Also, the Greek Catholic Union will once again join in with us for the 2016 Bowling Tournament and would like to join in with the 2016 Golf Tournament. The First Catholic Slovak Union has shown interest in participating in the Golf Tournament and will be con-tacted soon. Brother Ed discussed the schedule of events for 2016:

May 20-22, 2016 Bowling Airport Lanes, Buffalo, NY Softball Wilkes-Barre, PA Clinic Tentative (June)

August 19-21, 2016 Golf Treasure Lake, Dubois, PA

Supreme Physical Directress, Kathleen S. Watkins offered comments regarding the proposed sites for consideration for the 2016 Clinic and 2017 Slet. Three Proposals have been received with SUNY in Brockport, NY appearing to be a possible choice. Several other proposals will be forth coming and this will be further reviewed at the Supreme Physical Fitness Board meeting in January and recommended to the Board of Directors. Brother Ed thanked Sister Watkins for bringing the Board up to date and concluded his report stating that there will be additional information pertaining to all the Sports Programs on the website. After a lengthy and lively discussion, President Glugosh asked for a motion to accept the Supreme Physical Fitness Board Report, so moved by Supreme Physical Director, Dusan Dorich, and seconded by Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic.

Approved. President Glugosh thanked Brother Moeller and Sister Watkins for their report and asked General Counsel, John D. Pogorelec, Esq. for the Legal Department Report. Counsel reported that there is only one item to report on: 1. Brother John brought the Board members up to date regarding the recent developments with the Ambridge Sokol Club which we would like to sell and receive as much as we possibly can to reduce the expenses that it has cost the organization over he years. We have received a proposal that individuals would clean out the building and repair what is necessary to be able to have the building and property ready for sale and offered the best selling price. The organization would receive a minimum of $60,000.00 and an addi-tional 50% of the amount over this. For example, if the selling price received was $90,000.00, we would receive $60,000 plus 50% of the amount over $60,000, which would be an additional $15,000, for a total of $75,000. A lengthy discussion ensued and other options to the organization were discussed at length, Supreme Vice-President, Julie Ann Dobbs then moved that a Resolution be ap-proved as presented by our General Counsel to sell the Ambridge Sokol Club with all the items we discussed so we have it documented, seconded by Chairperson of the Supreme Auditors, Michael J. Horvath. No discussion and the motion was approved. Approved. Supreme President, Larry M. Glugosh then asked for a motion to accept the Report of our General Counsel, so moved by Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic, and seconded by Supreme Physical Directress, Kathleen S. Watkins. Approved. President Glugosh thanked our General Counsel for his report and welcomed Mr. Thomas Calimano, Market Director/Senior Vice-President, PNC Bank, National Associa-tion to report on the S.C.S. Investment Portfolio. Mr. Calimano stated that as of November 30, 2015 the total assets in the account amounted to $73,841,051.00. The portfolio structure consists of 0.9% or $629,152.00 in Cash Equivalents, 84.2% or $62,209,661.00 in U.S. Government/Federal Agencies and Corporate Bonds, 14.9% or $11,002,238.00 in Equities. Estimated annual income is $3,221,439.00 or a current yield of 4.4%. For the eleven months ended November 30, 2015, the portfolio’s total return was 1.07% versus 1.60% for the Weighted Index. The total portfolio has increased 4.02%, 6.11%, 6.17%, and 7.05%, on a compounded basis, for the three, fi ve, ten and 20.9 years ended No-vember 30, 2015 versus the 3.25%, 4.13%, 4.67%, and 6.07% returns of the Weighted Index respectively. The portfolio continued to perform well during a period where equity price volatility rose and fi xed income investors focused on the safety of U.S. Treasury obliga-tion versus corporate bonds. The equity market after declining precipitously in August and September, rebounded in October and was fl at in November. The equity market has been impacted by the continued concerns of a global economic slowdown led by China, recent increased geopolitical unrest and the Federal Reserve’s anticipated increase in interest rates. The fl ight to safety was evident in the bond market as investors fl ocked to the safety of U.S. Treasury obligation. The widening of corporate bond yields to U.S. Treasury yields back that occurred in August and September narrowed in October and November but not to pre August levels. The bond portfolio is 84.4% invested in corporate bonds and 15.6% invested in US Government and Federal Agency Obligations with an average quality rating of A and an average coupon of 4.99%. The portfolio’s fi xed income strategy, in anticipation of rising interest rates is to focus on investing in quality bonds, with attractive coupons tempered by maturity and yield. During eleven months ended November 30, 2015 the bond portfolio had a total return of 0.97% which outperformed the 0.88% return of the Barclay’s Aggregate Index. PNC forecasts that the Federal Reserve will increase short term interest rates, as measured by the Federal Funds Rate, in December 2015. The portfolio’s annualized income as of November 30, 2015 was $3,221,439.00. The bond portfolio has increased 2.35%, 4.75%, and 5.81% on a compounded basis, for the three, fi ve, and ten years ended Novem-ber 30, 2015 versus the 1.50%, 3.09%, ad 4.65% returns of the Barclay’s Aggregate Index, respectively. Equities had a total return of 1.35% versus the 3.01% return of the Standard & Poor’s 500 and -1.71% return of the Russell 1000 Value Index for the eleven months ended November 30, 2015.

Held on December 11, 2015

Minutes of the Supreme Board of Directors Quarterly Meeting held in Tampa, Fla.


The portfolio which utilizes a dividend strategy has an average yield of 3.1% ver-sus the S&P 500’s yield of 2.1%. The dividend strategy, is value strategy, which positions the equity portfolio to invest in companies that not only have above benchmark dividend yields but have the ability to grow their dividends based on consistent earnings. The strategy positions the equity portfolio to outperform when stocks decline while fully participating in advancing markets. The equity portfolio has increased 14.03%, 13.94%, and 7.74% on a compounded basis, for the three, fi ve, and ten years ended November 30, 2015 versus the 16.09%, 14.40%, and 7.48% returns of the Standard & Poor’s 500, respectively. Cash Equivalents returned 0.02% compared to the 0.02% return for the Citigroup 90 day Treasury Bill index for the eleven months ended November 30, 2015. Mr. Calimano discussed PNC’s outlook for the balance of 2015 and preliminary out-look for the fi nancial market and the economy with the Board. Currently PNC forecasts 2015 and 2016 GDP growth will be 2.5%, infl ation will remain controlled and while the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates, we are still in a low interest rate environment. Equities, in this environment, are attractively valued versus fi xed income and cash equiva-lents. He also reviewed the portfolio’s current asset allocation and the year to date and his-toric cash fl ows. He reviewed the equity and fi xed income investments, the current invest-ment strategies being utilized in the portfolio. He then reviewed the recent and long term investment performance of the portfolio, the near term and long term growth of the portfolio and provided an overall relationship review. After addressing several questions, President Glugosh asked for a motion to accept the report, so moved by Supreme Physical Director, Dusan Dorich, seconded by Chairperson of the Supreme Auditors, Michael J. Horvath. Approved. The Board members expressed their thanks to Mr. Calimano and we look forward to the continued growth and management of the investment portfolio. He was then excused. President Glugosh then called upon Supreme Vice-President, Julie Ann Dobbs, for the Report of the Supreme Vice-President. Sister Dobbs reported that the Scholarship Program opened as of November 1st. Ar-ticles announcing the Scholarship Program as well as an article on “how to be successful in completing the scholarship application process” have been in the Falcon publication starting in October. Also, she has been in contact with our current webmaster to plan and update the contact information and V.P. address of the new incoming Vice-President effective January 1, 2016. Regarding the Disaster Relief Fund, no requests for fi nancial assistance have been received and the current balance is $1,565.00 in the account. Additionally, the reading program participants in the Kids Corner have been recog-nized and awards have been sent to them. With the Transition of the newly elected Vice-President, Brother Edward Moeller, electronic fi les for the Scholarship Program, Kids Cor-ner, Disaster Relief Fund, etc. will be continuing along with assisting as much as possible to getting everything in place. Lastly, the article for the member recruitment for the SKS 2020 Committee originally discussed at our September meeting with a plan to publish in October was put on hold. Having concluded the report of the Supreme Vice-President, President Glugosh asked for a motion to accept the report, so moved by Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvoz-dovic, seconded by Supreme Director of Sports and Athletics, Edward D. Moeller.

Approved. President Glugosh thanked Sister Dobbs for her report. Having completed all the business on the morning agenda, Brother Glugosh called for a motion to adjourn the morning session, so moved by General Counsel, John D. Pogor-elec, Esq., seconded by Supreme Physical Director, Dusan Dorich. Approved. Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic closed the morning session with a prayer. The First Session was adjourned at 11:20 a.m.

S E C O N D S E S S I O NFriday, December 11, 2015 – 12:10 p.m.

Supreme President, Larry M. Glugosh called the Second Session of the Supreme Board of Directors meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. on Friday, December 11, 2015. Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic offered the Afternoon Prayer. President Glugosh thanked Father Andrew and asked the Supreme Secretary to take the Roll Call. Supreme Secretary, Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C. read the Roll Call and reported that the record will show that nine members of the Board are present. Acknowledged. President Glugosh thanked Brother Steve and asked the Supreme Secretary to present the Mortgage Department Report. The Supreme Secretary reported that as of December 10, 2015 the organization has 3 existing mortgages totaling $772,600.37 as compared to the report presented on Sep-tember 23, 2015 at the last Supreme Board of Directors meeting of 3 mortgages totaling $780,366.44.

Principal payments received for the eleven months of 2015 total $34,479.89 and the interest payments total $46,854.34. Brother Secretary also reported that no new mortgage applications have been received for presentation. Brother Glugosh asked for a motion to accept the report, so moved by Supreme Physi-cal Director, Dusan Dorich, seconded by Supreme Director of Sports and Athletics, Edward D. Moeller. Approved. President Glugosh thanked Brother Secretary for his report and inquired if any Dona-tion Requests were received to be addressed at this meeting. The Supreme Secretary reported that no donation requests were received for presenta-tion. Acknowledged. President Glugosh and the Board members then discussed the issue of declaring a dividend for the year 2015 to be distributed during 2016. The 2014 dividend declaration issued in 2015 was $50,000.00. After a brief discussion, General Counsel, John D. Pogorelec, Esq. moved that a divi-dend be declared for the year 2015 in the amount of $50,000.00 payable in 2016 for all qualifying certifi cates, seconded by Chairperson of the Supreme Auditors, Michael J. Hor-vath. Approved. The Supreme President thanked the Board members and then opened the fl oor for discussion regarding the Annuity Interest Rate to be offered for the fi rst quarter of 2016 on our annuity products. The Board members discussed the Annuity Interest Rate to be offered, taking into consideration our investment portfolio returns and discussions with our Actuary on what has been credited previously. General Counsel, John D. Pogorelec, Esq. then moved that we offer the same interest rate for the fi rst quarter of 2016 for the annuities that were of-fered for the fourth quarter of 2015 on the Vantage 1 and 2 Annuity products, however for the Vantage 3-5-7 Annuities, reduce the interest rate by .25% on each one, for new issues starting in January 2016, seconded by Supreme Physical Directress, Kathleen S. Watkins.

Approved. President Glugosh questioned if there was any Unfi nished Business to address. The Supreme President informed the Board members that the 2015 S.C.S. Fraternal-ist of the Year presentation was held on Sunday, October 25, 2015 in Canton, OH to honor this year’s recipient, Sister Dolly Hussar. President Glugosh and Editor, Daniel F. Tanzone were in attendance along with all of her family members as well as many friends. A great time was had by all and Sister Dolly was very thankful to all in her remarks. Acknowl-edged. Chairperson of the Supreme Auditors, Brother Michael J. Horvath stated that the 2015 Annual Audit by the Supreme Auditors will be held March 8, 9, 10, 2016 at the Home Of-fi ce in Passaic, NJ with both the former Auditors and newly elected ones. Acknowledged. The Supreme Secretary reminded the Board members that the First Quarterly Meet-ing of the New Supreme Board of Directors for 2016 will be held on March 11-12, 2016 also at the Home Offi ce. In addition preparations are being made for a mass at St. Mary’s Slovak Catholic Church to welcome the new Directors and administration on Saturday eve-ning, March 12, 2016. Acknowledged. Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic presented an overview of his atten-dance at the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association’s 41st Quadrennial Convention which was held in Louisville, KY from October 3-8, 2015. Acknowledged. President Glugosh inquired if there is any New Business to be discussed at this time. Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic expressed his thanks and apprecia-tion to the fi ve members of the Board of Directors who have served for so many years for their guidance, friendship, and leadership which will truly be missed. The Board members thanked Brother Larry, Sister Julie, Brother Steve, Brother John and Brother Dusan.

Acknowledged. Supreme Chaplain, Father Andrew also informed the Board members that he will cel-ebrate Mass on Saturday, December 11, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. for all the Board members and family members to fulfi ll our Sunday obligation in the Avion 1 Boardroom.

Acknowledged. Having completed all the business items on the afternoon agenda, the Supreme Presi-dent inquired if there is any other business to be presented at this time, there being none, Brother Glugosh entertained a motion to adjourn the meeting, so moved by Supreme Physical Directress, Kathleen S. Watkins, seconded by Supreme Director of Sports and Athletics, Edward D. Moeller. Approved. Supreme Chaplain, Rev. Andrew S. Hvozdovic offered the Closing Prayer for all those in need as well as for all the ill and deceased members of our organization.

Acknowledged. The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m. “Veselé a požehnané Vianoce a v novom roku veľa štastia a úspechov.” “Merry Christ-mas and a Happy and prosperous New Year.” Zdar Boh!

Respectfully submitted, Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C. Supreme Secretary

The Holy Name Society of SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Clifton, N.J. will host its tradi-tional Oplatek Dinner on Friday, January 8, 2016 in the church hall located at 218 Ackerman Avenue beginning at 7 p.m. The evening features the wonderful tradition of sharing the Oplatky, the Christmas wafers eaten with honey, a beloved tradition among Slovaks and Poles. A buffet supper will be enjoyed.

Tickets are $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for children. Tickets are available before and following the weekend Masses in the church ves-tibule. Reservations may also be made by calling Peter Walentowicz at tel. 973-340-9078 or David Bul-win at 973-546-4864. Area Sokol members are cordially invited to join the parish in celebrating this beloved faith tradition and enjoy an evening of faith and fellowship in the New Year.

Oplatek dinner set for Jan. 8 in Clifton, N.J.

Candy canes are a colorful and popular part of the Christmas ob-

servance. We can learn about their origin and how they serve as a symbol of Christ: * The hard

candy reminds us that Je-sus is our ROCK, strong and dependable(Psalm 31:3).

* Peppermint fl avor recalls the gift of spices from the wise men(Matthew 2:11). * White stands for Jesus as the holy, sinless Son of God(John 1:7). * Red represents God’s love for us, so great that He sent His son to save us, and for Jesus’ love in giving His life for us on the cross(John 3:16 and Revelation 1:5).

* The stripes remind us of Je-sus’ passion - His crown of thorns, the wounds in His hands and feet, and the cross on which He died(John 19: 1-30). * The cane is shaped like a staff used by shepherds - Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we are His fl ock(John 10: 1-18, 27-30). * The cane can also form the letter J - Jesus, our Savior( Mat-thew 1:21).

The Candy Cane: A Symbol of Christ


For many years now, our Assem-bly No. 9, Inc. headquarted in Bridge-port, Conn. has hosted projects which reach out to those in need in the best traditions of fraternal benevolence. Most recently, they have provided art materials for children in the vil-lage of Jarovnice, located in the Saris highlands of eastern Slovakia. The village, with a population of 4,200, is principally agricultural. About 3,200 residents are Roma or Gypsy. The art materials were sent to the village’s elementary school which is attended by Roma students. Children in the school are taught lessons in art by their teacher, Jan Sajko. The children produce very interesting and creative works of art. Some of their works have been displayed at various art exhibitions. Their works have been

displayed at exhibits in many coun-tries, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Iran and the United States. In the United Sates, their works have been a part of art exhibits in Boston, Washington, D.C. and Palm Beach, Florida. Some of their illustrations have been used to illustrate children’s books, calendars and postcards. We commend Judith Salamon, president as well as all associated with Slovak Catholic Sokol, Assembly No. 9, Inc. for their wonderful example of caring and sharing with those in need - even across the pond in our ances-tral homeland of Slovakia. The pho-tos shown include some of the Roma children as well as some of their ar-tistic illustrations at their school in the village of Jarovnice in Slovakia.

Reaching out to Roma children,Bridgeport, Conn.’s Assembly No. 9, Inc.

The word Christmas is Old Eng-lish, a contraction of Christ’s Mass. The fi rst president to decorate the white house Christmas tree in the United States was Franklin Pierce. Germany made the fi rst artifi cial Christmas trees. They were made of goose feathers and dyed green. Electric lights for trees were fi rst used in 1895. The fi rst Christmas cards were vintage and invented in 1843, the Victorian Era. “It’s a Wonderful Life” appears on TV more often than any other holiday movie. Rudolph” was actually created by Montgomery Ward in the late 1930’s for a holiday promotion. The rest is history. The Nutcracker” is the most fa-mous Christmas ballet. Jingle Bells” was fi rst written for Thanksgiving and then became one of the most popular Christmas songs. If you received all of the gifts in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” you would receive 364 gifts. The poinsettia plant was brought into the United States from Mexico by Joel Poinsett in the early 1800’s. Holly berries are poisonous. Contrary to common belief, poin-settia plants are non-toxic. In 1843, “A Christmas Carol” was written by Charles Dickens in just six weeks. The fi rst state to recognize the Christmas holiday offi cially was Alabama. Christmas became a national holiday in America on June, 26, 1870. Clearing up a common miscon-ception, in Greek, X means Christ. That is where the word “X-Mas” comes from. Not because someone took the “Christ” out of Christmas.

Have some fun with this Christmas Trivia

Holy Year of Mercy Opens

of Mercy. The 82-foot spruce fi r comes from Germany’s Bavaria region. The decora t ions this year in-clude painted ceramic orna-ments made by children receiving on-cological care in a number of Italian hos-pitals. The Nativity scene was donated by the northern Ital-ian province of Trent. The 24 life-sized fi gures carved from wood included Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, the Three Magi and a man bending over to help an elderly man in an act of mercy. The sur-rounding scene and fi gures were to represent life in the Dolomites in the 1900s. - CNS


Supreme Secretary Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C. welcomed several visi-tors from Slovakia at the Home Offi ce on December 1. Representa-tives from the Offi ce for Slovaks Living Abroad with headquarters in Bratislava as well as the Consul General of the Slovak Republic in New York. In the top photo, Brother Pogorelec gave the guests a tour of our Slovak Catholic Sokol Museum and is shown with Jana Trnovcova, the Consul General of the Slovak Republic in New York and Jan Varso, the chairman of the Offi ce for Slovaks Living Abroad as they signed the guest book. In the lower photo, Brother Pogorelec along with Ms. Trnovcova and Mr. Varso pose for a photo in front of the painting of the original founders of the Slovak Catholic Sokol in 1905. They were interested in learning that all 46 of our organization’s founders hailed from the Spis region located in northeast Slovakia. The Offi ce for Slo-vaks Living Abroad coordinates various cultural and educational proj-ects among Slovak communities residing outside Slovakia, including the United States, Canada as well as other countries including, Argen-tina, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, as well as Slovakia’s neighbors, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. Following the fall of Commu-nism in 1989 and the independence of Slovakia in 1993, the offi ce was established to maintain contacts with the various Slovak communities residing outside Slovakia in various parts of the world.

Visitors From Slovakia Welcomedat the Home Offi ce on December 1

Slovak for ChristmasVianoce - ChristmasŠtedrý večer - Bountiful evening, the Christmas eve supper.Polnočná omša - Midnight Mass.Vianočný stromček - Th e Christmas tree.Vianočný darček - a Christmas gift .Ježiško - the Baby Jesus.Paska - Christmas bread made with raisins.Božie narodenie - Christmas day.Vianočné obdobie - Christmas season.Veselé Vianoce - Merry Christmas.Na Silvestra - New Year’s Eve.Št’astný nový rok - Happy New Year.

PhrasesŽelám vám veselé a požehnané Vianoce - I wish you a very happy and blessed Christmas.Ježiško nám donesie dary - Th e baby Jesus will bring us gift s.Prídite nás navštíviť na Vianoce - Come visit us at Christmas.Pôjdeme na polnočnú omšu - We will go to Midnight Mass.Vianoce sú sviatky radosti a pokoja - Christmas is a feast of joy and peace.


Introducing our newest members

Ruby Eloise Tremaine, born March 24, 2015, is the daughter of Matthew and Julie Frieko Tre-maine of Pittsburgh, Pa. She was enrolled as a member of Assem-bly 82 in Dunlo, Pa.

Warren Allen Kacmarcik, born May 9, 2015, is the son of Zach-ary and Roz Kacmarcik of Ux-bridge, Mass. He was enrolled as a member of Assembly 28 in East Douglas, Mass.

Josephine Lee Grossman, born February 18, 2015, is the daugh-ter of John and Alicia Molter Grossman of North Canton, Ohio. She was enrolled as a mem-ber of Assembly 180 in Canton, Ohio.

Carolyne Korcek, born April 30, 2009 is the daughter of Dr. Ken-neth and Kelly Korcek of Rock-ford, Ill. She was enrolled as a member of Assembly 182 in New York City.

Ema Korcek, born October 7, 2005 is the daughter of Dr. Ken-neth and Kelly Korcek of Rock-fold, Ill. She was enrolled as a member of Assembly 182 in New York City.

Matthew Korcek, born Janu-ary 26, 2003 is the son of Dr. Kenneth and Kelly Korcek of Rockford, Ill. He was enrolled as a member of Assembly 182 in New York City.

James Tesi, born April 28, 2010 is the son of James and Suzanne Korcek Tesi of White Plains, N.Y. He was enrolled as a member of Assembly 182 in New York City.

Emerson Tesi, born January 27, 2012 is the daughter of James and Suzanne Korcek Tesi of White Plains, N.Y. She was en-rolled as a member of Assembly 182 in New York City.

Extending Merry Christmasin different languages

Peace on Earth to those on whom God’s favor rests, we read in Luke’s Gospel. Not even language dif-ferences constitute a barrier. Living in our cosmopolitan society, it will be well to know a few of the ways of expressing “Merry Christ-mas” in various languages.

Slovak ...........Veselé VianocePolish.............Wesolych SwiatItalian ............Buon NataleFrench ...........Joyeux NoelGerman ..........Frohliche WeihnachtenSpanish ..........Felice NavidadRussian ..........Christos RazhdaetsyaRomanian ......Sarbatori FericiteHungarian ......Boldog Karacsonyi UnescketCroatian .........Sretan BozieLithuanian .....Linksmu KaleduUkrainian. ......Hristos RozdajetsiaSwedish .........Glad JulenSerbian ..........Kristos Se RodiHawaiian .......Mele Kalikimaka

QUOTES ABOUT CHRISTMAS

“Want to keep Christ in Christ-mas? Feed the hungry, clothe the na-ked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”

- Steve Maraboli

“Christmas! Th e very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christ-mas lists for gift s and cards to be bought and given--when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.”

- Joan Winmill Brown

Kayla Elizabeth Smudz, born August 17, 2015, is the daugh-ter of Lee and Angela DiMarino Smudz of Broadview Heights, Oh. She was enrolled as a mem-ber of Wreath 153 in Parma, Oh.

The traditional Oplatky is gener-ally enjoyed during the Christmas Eve dinner. However, they can be enjoyed at any dinner during the Christmas observance. As family and friends begin their meal, the head of the household begins the “Stedry Vecer”(bountiful evening) with sharing of the Oplatky, the blessed Christmas wafers eaten with honey. He or she places honey on the Oplatky and shares them with the family and friends assem-bled for the meal. He then makes the sign of the cross with the honey on the foreheads of all present and shares the Oplatky. The Oplatky, actually Oblatky, since the word comes from the Latin word “ob-lata” or offering; have been blessed by the priest according to the pre-scribed formula for the blessing of bread in the Roman Ritual. They are eaten at the Christmas Eve or Christmas day supper according to the tradition originating in Slova-kia, Poland and Lithuania. Catholics in these regions wished to begin their fi rst meal, after the strict fast of Advent in those days, with food which was blessed for this purpose. The Oplatky are eaten with honey and remind us of the unleavened bread of the Passover. It also reminds us of the manna which God fed the chosen people in the desert following their Exodus

from Egypt. Most importantly, they remind us of the Eucharist. The assembled guests under the leadership of the head of the house-hold may recite an Our Father and a Hail Mary for the departed members of the family. He or she then recites the following prayer: O Lord God, hear our prayer. All respond: And let our cry come unto you. Let us pray: Today we celebrate Christmas. It was on this night that God showed His generosity, com-ing to us in the person of His divine son, being born of the Virgin Mary in the stable at Bethlehem. Today our mother has spread our table more richly than usual, in honor of the birthday of Our Lord. These Christmas wafers remind us of the manna from heaven which God fed his chosen people in the desert. They remind us also of the Eu-charist in which God in a mysteri-ous manner, is again born, as trulyas he was born of the Virgin Mary in the stable at Bethlehem. This takes place at every celebration of the Mass. May we partake of the Eucharist frequently, so that God would be born within our hearts. As the an-gels glorifi ed God and prayed for peace, so let us repeat with them: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. Amen

A cherished Slovak faith tradition

Sharing the Christmas Oplatky


Scenes of the 33rd Annual St. Martin Day Celebration Hosted by Group 2, “Rev. Stephen Panik” in Stratford, Conn. on November 15

Veteran Group 2 activist and former long-time president of Wreath 1, Irene Sinanis was welcomed at this year’s celebration. Shown with her are, l-r, Joanne Marticek, Catherine Karosy, John Tkacik, Irene’s son-in-law, Dr. Bob Nist, Rev. Andrew G. Marus and Thomas Marticek.

Wreath 39 of Bridgeport honored their member, Darlene Knapik Musial, second from the right, who retired as the Group 2 secretary. Shown making the presentation were, l-r, Mary Ann Wells, Catherine Karosy and Barbara Sheehy.



What's making headlines in our ancestral homeland

News and Views from Slovakia...

Selected stories are provided by TASR-Slovakia, the Slovak Republic’s offi cial News Agency.

Kiska opens Slovak Christmas Festival President Andrej Kiska opened the 8th annual Slovak Christmas Festival on Bratislava’s main square on Monday, November 23, TASR learned on the same day. “I’m immensely happy to be afforded this opportunity to see what Christmas should be about. Christmas isn’t only about things, gifts, but Christmas is especially about people, about friends and families meeting together,” said Kiska. He went on to wish for “an atmosphere that is here to-day” to be in people’s hearts all year long “so we share the smiles, the pre-Christmas mood, understanding, forgiveness and love throughout the year.” Kiska also visited Bratislava’s City Hall for the fi rst time as part of his day-long program with Mayor Ivo Nesrovnal. “The Advent and pre-Christmas season is a season of tranquility, friendship and family gatherings. Bratislava too seeks to contribute to this atmosphere with its colorful Christ-mas market and stalls that we’ve tried to present in a new way, come up with a new design and tranquil esthetics, which con-tributes to the charm of Christmas” said Mayor Nesrovnal. Nearly 900 performers and 33 folklore ensembles from around Slovakia will be on hand for this year’s 8th annual Slovak Christmas Festival in Bratislava which continues dai-ly until January 2nd.

Fico sees that the opportunity is nowfor Geece to leave Schengen Area Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico hopes the time is coming for expelling Greece from the Schengen Area, as it has no business being there, TASR learned ahead of the EU-Turkey summit in Brussels on November 29. When asked as to whether this is being discussed at the EU level, the premier said that, unoffi cially, everybody is convinced about it. “We just cant’ put up with a member country that has openly given up on safeguarding the Schen-gen Area borders. Schengen is of no use then,” said Fico. At any rate, the summit on Sunday isn’t the best place to address the issue, he added. Nor does he expect the recent downing of a Russian jet by Turkey to be offi cially addressed at the summit. “The stra-tegic interest of Turkey and the European Union lies in com-ing to an agreement that can substantially restrict the migrant fl ow to Europe,” said Fico. He also fi nds it important that European leaders have come to understand that some issues, to wit, events in Iran and Syria, simply cannot be resolved without Russia’s in-volvement. “Russia plays a major role in the military opera-tions, and I’m hopeful that coordination of activities between Russia, France and the United States will bear fruit. I’d be unhappy to see the incident above disrupt the fragile consen-sus on the engagement of the top global players in coming to grips with the situation in Syria,” he concluded.

Kiska visits Primatial Palace, wantsBratislava to be a city with vision Bratislava could become a city with a vision that coop-erates with the Slovak Government and from which young and intelligent people wouldn’t fl ee abroad, said President Andrej Kiska during his fi rst ever visit to Bratislava’s Prima-tial Palace for a day-long program with the city’s mayor, Ivo Nesrovnal. “We’ve discussed problems that the city is concerned about. The fi rst and biggest one is fi nancing. Bratislava has a little more than 50 percent of the budget of Brno(in the Czech Republic), which is, however smaller than our capital,” said Kiska at a briefi ng. Kiska pointed out that no city can develop without mon-ey. “We’ve also discussed transport and the fragmentation of the city. If Bratislava needs a good vision, it isn’t simple when

there are 17 city parts(boroughs),” said Kiska. Kiska wants Bratislava to be a city that everyone can be proud of. “A city that will know which direction it’s going in and will act for the welfare of the whole country and the people that live here and commute here,” he said. According to Kiska, no city can exist well without a good level of cooperation with the national government. He said that the city has the power to deal with its problems, however, and it is its duty to address them. Nesrovnal pointed out that the city is interested in good relations with government and parliament. According to him, good relations are in place already. “We have a desire to be a modern, cultural, clean capital and we’ll need the support of our highest constitutional offi cials. I feel that. I feel the interest in addressing the issues of Bratislava,” said Nesrovnal. In the latter half of next year, Slovakia will hold the presi-dency of the Council of the European Union. Some Members of Parliament have stated that Bratislava will need millions, which would come from the state, to manage this task in a dignifi ed manner. “I hope that the government will regard this matter in an accommodating way; there are signs of that,” said Nesrovnal. According to Kiska, the presidency entails the need of all constitutional offi cials to be supportive. “So that we can be proud of our capital when they all come here,” he said. The president’s program with the mayor also featured a tour of the city, including a visit to some of Bratislava’s schools, the Volkswagen car plant and the Christmas market. The last offi cial visit by the president to City Hall took place in 2005, when Ivan Gasparovic was head of state.

Foreign Ministry and municipalities to team up during EU Presidency The Foreign and European Affairs Ministry has agreed with municipalities on collaboration with respect to Slovakia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in the latter half of 2016, TASR learned on November 26. “We care about making sure that the public knows what the gist of the presidency involves and what topics it will ad-dress,” said the ministry’s State Secretary and Government Proxy for the Presidency Ivan Korcok. Municipalities have been offered the opportunity to also bring the presidency beyond Bratislava, which will host all top-level events. By way of example, the ministry stands ready to announce a grant scheme to provide fi nancing to NGOs for projects conducive to extend the reach of the presidency across Slovakia. The single largest event to take place in Bratislava will be the Committee of Regions session, which will be attended by over 1,000 delegates to discuss the EU’s regional policy. “We view this as a good opportunity to present our regions and towns,” said Korcok. In addition, a section devoted to Slovak municipalities will be on display in Bratislava’s Reduta building, which will be the chief site of major events during the Slovak presidency. Slovak municipalities will also be able to present themselves in Brus-sels.

Kazimir: Slovakia second only toBaltic states in catch-up rate to EU Slovakia is exhibiting what is the fastest economic conver-gence rate in the European Union right after the Baltic coun-tries, according to a statement by the Slovak Finance Ministry citing the ministry’s head Peter Kazimir during his offi cial visit to Prague on November 26. Slovakia’s GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP) swelled from 47 percent of the EU average in 1995 to

Bratislava, Slovakia’s sparkling capital city located on the Danube River will be all aglow with holiday lights and decorations in the weeks leading up to the celebra-tion of Christmas. Its main square, Hlavne, along with the Frantiskanske(Franciscan) and Primacialne(primatial) squares will be fi lled with 110 stands featuring local ven-dors selling homemade arts and crafts of the season. The city’s Christmas market is one of the largest and most impressive found in central and eastern European cit-ies. Entertainment, refreshments and Christmas-themed live presentations attract thousands from morning to late night. The city’s Christmas Market began on November 20 and will continue until January 2, 2016.

76 percent in 2013, said Kazimir while meeting local students to discuss economic developments in Slovakia and the Czech Re-public. Kazimir kicked off his visit on November 26 by meeting Jan Hamacek, Chairman of the Cham-ber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Repub-lic. Later in the day, he gave a lecture on the results of Slovakia’s economy to students of the Prague-based Univer-sity of Economics. The students were keen to learn more about Slovakia’s experience with the euro and its effect on economic performance. “The adoption of the euro boosted the performance of the Slovak economy by one-tenth. The introduction of the euro is a success story for us,” said Kazimir. The issue of combat against tax evansions was also broached. On November 26, the latter matter was also brought up dur-ing Kazimir’s talks with his Czech counterpart Andrej Babis, who is a native of Slovakia. Kazimir highlighted the effect supplied by the introduction of so-called VAT control reports, which the Czech Republic will also put into practice beginning in January 2016. “Slovakia is ahead of us,” said Babis, adding that the Czech Republic is about to introduce some of the same measures that Slovakia has adopted in the past three years. “These measures have contributed to Slovakia’s collecting an extra 3 percent of the GDP or $2.2 billion,” said Babis, referring to measures such as the control reports of ‘Tax Cobra’ inspections.


(Continued on page 3)

DECEMBER 29 Stephen J. Kubasek, Jr., Yon-

kers, N.Y.,a member of Assembly

219, Yonkers, N.Y.

Patricia M. Pjontek, Pittsburgh,

Pa., a member of Wreath 22, Pitts-

burgh, Pa

John Sipos, Estero, Fla., a

member of Assembly 1, Passaic,

N.J.

DECEMBER 30 Peter S. Costolanski, Dunedin,

Fla., a member of Assembly 25,

Perryopolis, Pa.

Dr. Mary Z. Gasparik, New York

City, our Honorary Supreme Offi cer

and President of Wreath 168, New

York City.

Carl V. Gogolak, Basking Ridge,

N.J., a member of Assembly 219,

Yonkers, N.Y.

DECEMBER 31 Gail Jankowski, Yonkers, N.Y.,

a member of Assembly 219, Yon-

kers, N.Y.

Mary Madar, East Stroudsburg, Pa., a member of Assembly 32, Palmerton, Pa.

JANUARY 2 Tony L. Scuglik, Kenosha, Wis.,

president of Group 4 and Assembly

113, Kenosha, Wis.

JANUARY 4 Noah Vargoshe, Shelton, Conn.,

a member of Assembly 9, Bridge-

port, Conn.

JANUARY 5 Steven M. Pogorelec, Jr., Wayne,


Clifton, N.J.

JANUARY 6 Mary Ann Krolik, Morris

Plains, N.J., a member of Wreath

168, New York, N.Y.

JANUARY 7 Michael T. Pogorelec, Wayne,


Clifton, N.J.

Valerie Mancuso, Yonkers,

N.Y., a member of Assembly 219,

Yonkers, N.Y.

JANUARY 8 Brianna Marie Geissler, Phila-

delphia, Pa., a member of Assembly

48, Philadelphia, Pa.

John T. Grovola, Secane, Pa., a

member of Assembly 186, Drexel

Hill, Pa.

JANUARY 9 Klaudia Bodo, Brooklyn, N.Y.,

a member of Assembly 182, New

York City.

Frank Maslar, Davidsville, Pa.,

a member of Wreath 14, Johnstown,

Pa.

Cynthia L. Scott, Sewickley,

Sokol Birthdays

Pa., a member of Assembly 127,

Monessen, Pa.

JANUARY 11 Larry M. Glugosh, Missis-sauga, Ont., Canada, our Honorary Supreme Offi cer and member of Assembly 227, Toronto, Canada. Stephen F. Papcun, Clinton

Twp., Mich., a member of Assembly

36, Detroit, Mich.

Robert D. Raichel, Hillsbor-ough, N.J., a member of Assembly 162 in Clifton, N.J.

JANUARY 12 John R. Benyak, Jr., Monessen,

Pa., president of Assembly 127,

Monessen, Pa.

James T. Genosky, Minneapolis,

Minn., Financial Secretary of Assem-

bly 34, Minneapolis, Minn.

JANUARY 13 Charles D. Matlon, Blooming-

ton, Minn., a member of Assembly

34, Minneapolis, Minn.

Joseph Korcak, Waldwick, N.J.,

a member of Assembly 182, New

York, N.Y.

JANUARY 14 Mary B. Snyder, Monessen,

Pa., a member of Assembly 127,

Monessen, Pa.

Mary W. Falatok, Akron, Oh.,

Financial Secretary of Wreath 43,

Akron, Oh.

Christine Toskovich, Garfi eld,

N.J., a member of Wreath 2, Pas-

saic, N.J.

Patricia A. Warrick, West New-

ton, Pa., a member of Assembly 127,

Monessen, Pa.

JANUARY 15 Gregory M. Martin, Water Ford,

Va., a member of Assembly 127,

Monessen, Pa.

Paul Sovcik, Western Springs,

Ill., a member of Assembly 257,

Chicago, Ill.

JANUARY 16 Susan Hernandez, Clifton,


Clifton, N.J.

Claire J. Matlon, Whippany,


Boonton, N.J.

JANUARY 17 David Bakita, Norton, Oh., a

member of Assembly 167, Barber-

ton, Oh.

Kevin J. Matlon, Whippany,


Boonton, N.J.

Thomas J. Matlon, Andover,

Minn., a member of Assembly 34,

Minneapolis, Minn.

Margaret Siska, Chicago, Ill., a

member of Assembly 11, Chicago,

Ill.


[email protected](262)498-2571

Deadline for submission of all scholarship applications is March 31, 2016

In addition to our college grant program, we make available 18 Catho-lic High School Grants in the amount of $500 each as well as 36 Catholic Grade School Grants in the amount of $250 each. Please fi nd these schol-arship applications and directives in each of the next issues of the Falcon.

$63,000 in S.C.S. Scholarship GrantsAvailable to Eligible Members in 2016

Remember how your parents or grandparents referred to their birthplace as the “the old country.” Well now is the time for you to sit down and talk with the oldest mem-bers of your family to learn about their birthplaces in the old country. There is so much beauty and charm in their ancestral land and it’s all there just waiting for your visit. So get your passport and let’s go. Join our Sokol members Jim and Kay Bench as they host the 19th annual Youngstown/Spisska Nova Ves Sister cities tour July 8-July 22- 2016. We will be celebrat-ing The 25th Anniversary of the Youngstown/Spisska Nova Ves Sis-ter Cities so get your dancing shoes ready for the time of your life. You will see the capital of Slo-vakia, Bratislava located on the Danube River. Since joining the European Union, you will see how the villages, towns and cities have been restored to their former beau-ty. Unique to our trip is a reception with the mayor of our sister cities Spisska Nova Ves complete with entertainment and a formal sign-ing of the city registry for all tour participants. You will enjoy tradi-tional Slovak food, attend several kolibas, enjoy shopping, go white-water rafting on the Dunajec, the natural border between Poland and Slovakia, visit villages such as Cic-many where you will see decorated homes, visit historic Tichy Potok a village of 324 people, stay in a beautiful spa in Sliac and enjoy the thermal waters, indoor and outdoor

pools, saunas and other amenities. Visit many of the Unesco sites, castles, churches especially the oldest church in Slovakia located in Nitra. Attend and participate in a mock wedding in traditional Slovak Kroj. Wine tasting is a fa-vorite to many participants. There are so many things to see and do, too numerous to mention in this short article. Remember our trip is fourteen days so you really get to see Slovakia, visit family and have time for shopping. English speaking tour guide, large air conditioned bus with rest-room, fi rst class hotel accommoda-tions, great food and entertainment. For additional information call Jim or Kay Bench. They must be doing something right as people are returning for their 5th and 6th time. The tour makes changes yearly. Kay and Jim are seasoned travelers and have a luncheon several weeks before the tour leaves along with Paul Hudak to answer questions. They tell you what type of clothing to take, how to pack, weather con-ditions, money exchange, where and how to carry your money, medications etc. Jim Bench cell phone 724-858-5843 e-mail [email protected] Kay Bench cell phone 724-771-7900 e-mail [email protected] Travel arrangements are made through Adventure International Travel Call Paul Hudak at 216-228-7171 or 800-542-2487 or Fax 216-228-7174. E-Mail [email protected]

Visit Slovakia ----“The Old Country”

tual needs and our athletic fraternal programs. We focused our attention to our future growth prospects and discussed new improvements that we can build into our society for the betterment of our membership. The Board of Directors is pleased that our ongoing efforts and leadership to control our discretionary spend-ing, grow our sales and make sound fi scal investment decisions have all contributed to our success. As I conclude this article for the last time, I wish to extend my deep-est appreciation to the many Su-preme and Local Offi cers who have supported my 32 years as a Supreme Offi cer. Your dedication, guidance, understanding, support and friend-ship have been the foundation that has enabled my contribution and commitment to our organization. You are my fraternal family and I am forever grateful for your many blessings and support over the years. A special acknowledgement to our current Supreme Assembly who have helped me survive the past few years, especially my fellow retiring board members namely Brother Steve Pogorelec, Sister Julie Dobbs and Brother John Pogorelec. Your faith, friendship and love through-out the years have made this Slovak Catholic Sokol journey much more enjoyable, interesting and reward-ing. However, we are only able to dedicate our time, energy and fo-cus with the sacrifi ce, support and love of our home family. I have been blessed with the support and encouragement of my parents and I pray God will continue to bless them with good health. I have also had the constant understanding, support and love of my late wife Krista, who supported me for over 20 years and enriched our lives with her compas-sion, love and selfl ess acts of kind-ness and generosity. She devoted her life to the health and wellbeing of our four beautiful angels and loved our society for all that it represents.

We will honor her legacy and pray her kind soul will continue to watch over us all. However life does move for-ward and we meet new people who bring new happiness, hope and love into our hearts. I wish to thank Susanna and my new step children for their understanding over the past few years, as I com-pleted my fi nal term in offi ce. Your strength and support provided me the energy to continue in my ca-pacity as the Supreme President.

All this to say, I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful, car-ing and loving people in my life. May God continue to bless my family and many friends within the Slovak Catholic Sokol. I hope you all enjoy the wonderful Christmas season and embrace its magical spirit with your families and friends. May you continue to experience good health, happiness and prosper-ity in the coming year!

May God bless all of you! Zdar Boh!

Thoughts on Fraternalism


For students currently attending a Catholic High School

Slovak Catholic Sokol Abbot Jerome M. Koval, O.S.B. Memorial

High School Grant As a fraternal benefi t, the Slovak Catholic Sokol is pleased to offer $500.00 grants to one young Sokol or Sokolka in each of our organi-zation's nineteen Groups. These 19 Grants are available to any qualifi ed Sokol member currently attending a Catholic High School.

Eligibility

A. Applicant must be a member of the Slovak Catholic Sokol in good standing, holding a permanent Life Insurance Certifi cate in the amount of not less than $3,000, and has been a member for at least fi ve year.

B. One parent must be a S.C.S. member.

C. The principal of the Catholic High School must verify the enrollment of the applicant.

Application

ALONG WITH THE APPLICATION you must submit a typed or written essay DOUBLE SPACED in 100 to 200 words on the following topic:

“WHAT DOES THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL MEAN TO ME?” This essay must be submitted along with the application. This application must be received on or before, March 31, 2016 with a clear, small (2"x3" wallet size) head and shoulders photograph.

Application is also available on the Internet @ www.slovakcatholicsokol.org

Disqualifi cation An applicant who neglects to submit or com-plete any part of these requirements before the established deadline will automatically be disqualifi ed.

Acknowledgment An acknowledgment of the Grant should be made in writing by the recipient as soon as pos-sible, if you are awarded a Grant.

Return of Grant If for any reason the Grant is not used by the recipient, the entire (or portion of) grant not utilized must be returned.

✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄

(Detach here)

SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL ABBOT JEROME M. KOVAL, O.S.B. MEMORIALHIGH SCHOOL GRANT APPLICATION

Group #_______________ Assembly/Wreath #_______________

Name____________________________________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________________________

City________________________ State________________ Zip Code________________

Date of Birth_________________________________________ Current Age __________

Home Phone (_____)________________ High School Phone (_____)________________ area code area code

S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate #______________ Face Amount_____________________ S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate #______________ Face Amount_____________________

S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate #______________ Face Amount_____________________

Father's name_____________________________________ Are you a member? ______

Mother's name_____________________________________ Are you a member? ______

Parent’s S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate #_____________________ Face Amount___________

Parent’s S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate #_____________________ Face Amount___________

Are you a previous Slovak Catholic Sokol Scholarship Recipient? _________ If yes, please (yes/no)

indicate Grade School or High School. What year?_________

High School verifi cation (to be completed by High School Principal)

I,______________________________ Principal of________________________________ (Principal's signature) (Name of School)

Catholic High School, verify that__________________________________ is a student at (Name of student)

the above school and will be attending ______ ___ Grade in the 2016-2017 school year.

Are you currently participating in Slovak Catholic Sokol Activities? Yes_____ No_____

Deadline for receipt of this application is March 31, 2016. Return completed application to:

Slovak Catholic Sokol High School Grant205 Madison St., P.O. Box 899, Passaic, NJ 07055

Announcing the Memorial Scholarship Fund!!!

Julie Ann Dobbs Supreme Vice-President

Have you found yourself looking for a way to memorial-ize a lost loved one or fellow Group/Wreath/Assembly member? Why not make a donation in their honor to the newly developed Memorial Scholarship fund? Your donation will assure that an an-nual scholarship be given out to a college age student who best exemplifi es the meaning of fraternalism and volunteerism. Here’s how it works: Send a check or money order to the Memorial Scholarship Fund clearly indicating the name to be memorialized. You can fi nd a donation form on line athttp://slovakcatholicsokol.org/members/memorialfrmframe.htm

or simply send your donation to:

Dennis J. ZifcakMuseum Treasurer

Memorial Scholarship Fund205 Madison St.

Passaic, NJ 07055

Your bequest will be recognized in the Falcon as well as permanently added to the Memorial Scholarship Donation Log which will be kept at the Sokol Museum. Depending on the amount of funds collected, we will be able to award at least two $1,000 scholarships annu- ally. The hope is that the donated funds will begin a self-perpetuating interest bearing scholarship account.

Have you recently lost a loved one? You might consider ear-marking donations to this fund in their memory. Keep the spirit of your fellow Sokol alive by investing in a way that their fraternal dedication will not be forgotten.

In Memory of....

Keep Your Slovak Catholic Sokol

Home Offi ce Numbers Handy

TOLL FREE NUMBER – 1-800-886-7656

HOME OFFICE – (973) 777-2605 or 777-2606

DIRECTOR OF SALES – 1-855-874-9179 or (412) 381-5431

UNDERWRITING – (973) 777-4704

EDITOR – (973) 777-4010

FAX NUMBER – (973) 779-8245

E-MAIL – [email protected]

WEB SITE –www.slovakcatholicsokol.org

CHANGE OF AD DRESS OR REQUESTFOR SLOVAK CATH O LIC FALCON

P.O.BOX 899 • 205 MADISON STREETPASSAIC, N.J. 07055

NEW CHANGE CAN CEL LA TION

Certifi cate No.____________________________________

Name___________________________________________

New Ad dress______________________________________

City________________State_____________ Zip_________

Old Ad dress______________________________________

City________________State_____________Zip_________

(Editor’s note: We have noticed a number of returned copies of our Falcon due to incorrect ad dress es of our members. We ask that when individuals move, that they com plete the form below for a change of address or call the home offi ce. We thank you for your continued co op er a tion)


For students entering a Catholic Grade School (Grades 2-8)

Slovak Catholic Sokol Catholic Grade School Grants

Deadline for receipt of this application is March 31, 2016.Return completed application to:

Slovak Catholic SokolGrade School Grant

205 Madison St.,P.O. Box 899Passaic, NJ 07055

✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄

(Detach here)

SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL CATHOLIC GRADE SCHOOL GRANT APPLICATION

Group #_______________ Assembly/Wreath #_______________

Name ___________________________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________________

City________________________ State________________ Zip Code ______________

Date of Birth_________________________________________ Current Age __________

Home Phone (_____)________________ School Phone (_____) ________________ area code area code

S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate #____________ Face Amount_____________________ S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate #____________ Face Amount_____________________ S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate #____________ Face Amount_____________________ Father's name_____________________________________ Are you a member?______

Mother's name_____________________________________ Are you a member?______

Parent’s S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate # ______________________Face Amount________

Parent’s S.C.S. Insurance Certifi cate # ______________________Face Amount________

Are you a previous Slovak Catholic Sokol Scholarship Recipient? ___________________ (yes/no)

If yes, what Year?____________

School verifi cation (to be completed by Grade School Principal)

I,______________________________ Principal of_______________________________ (Principal's signature) (Name of School)

Catholic Grade School, verify that_________________________________ is a student at (Name of student)

the above school and will be entering _________ Grade in the 2016-2017 school year.

Are you currently participating in Slovak Catholic Sokol Activities? Yes_____ No____

As a fraternal benefi t, the Slovak Catholic Sokol is pleased to offer $250.00 Grants to our young Sokols and Sokolky in each of our organization's nineteen Groups. Two grants each per Group are available to any qualifi ed Sokol member entering a Catholic Grade School (Grades 2 through 8).

Eligibility

A. Applicant must be a member of the Slovak Catholic Sokol in good standing, holding a permanent Life Insurance Certifi cate in the amount of not less than $3,000, and has been a member for at least fi ve years.

B. One parent must be a S.C.S. member.

C. The principal of the Catholic Grade School must verify the enrollment of the applicant.

Application This application must be received on or before, March 31, 2016 with a clear, small (2"x3" wallet size) head and shoulders photograph. Application is also available on the Internet @

www.slovakcatholicsokol.org

Disqualifi cation An applicant who neglects to submit or com-plete any part of these requirements before the established deadline will automatically be disqualifi ed.

Acknowledgment An acknowledgment of the Grant should be made in writing by the recipient as soon as pos-sible, if you are awarded a Grant.

Return of Grant If for any reason the Grant is not used by the recipient, the entire (or portion of) grant not utilized must be returned.

While most Catholics consider the Christmas feast the singular most enriching event in the Church year, for Slovak Catholics, Christmas cen-ters around the celebration of “Stedry Vecer” the bountiful evening, the Christmas eve Supper. Many of the Slovak Christmas traditions, have been brought to America by generations of immigrants from Slovakia over the past more than 125 years. Many of these traditions continue to be cultivated by their descendants in Slovak American homes. The Christmas eve supper, which begins with the appearance of the fi rst star, is fi lled with benevolence and mystery. With roots in the Passover supper of the Old Testament, the meal is fi lled with ritual and meaning. Each of the various regions of Slovakia have particular culinary speciali-ties. In some localities, it is the custom to set the table cloth over clean straw; in others straw is laid upon the fl oor. This reminds the family that the Christchild was bedded upon straw in a manger. The father and mother come to the table with a lighted candle, carry-ing holy water and honey. Reaching their places, good wishes and greet-ings are extended, offering a kind of festive toast. The candle, which gives light and warmth, is the symbol of Christ, the light of the world. Before serving the meal, the mother sprinkles holy water on the table and the rest of the house, that the blessing of God might rest on them. The father takes a little honey and makes a small sign of the cross on the foreheads of all present. It reminds all to keep Christ in our thoughts and to live and work so that harmony and pleasant fellowship might sweeten our lives. The meal begins with the Oplatky, unleavened wafers imprinted with the scenes of the holy birth. Slovaks and Poles alike share this tra-dition. With snowbound conditions common on both sides of the Tatra Mountains, the Oplatky were blessed by the village priest so that if the faithful were not able to make it to church for Midnight Mass, this symbol of Christ and the Eucharist might serve as their Christmas eve spiritual nourishment. A soup of tart quality is now enjoyed. The soup is made of sauerkraut brine and dried mushrooms. It continues the Old Testament Exodus theme of recalling the bitterness of life without Christ. Fish is generally enjoyed, since Catholics in eastern Europe contin-ue to observe a strict fast and abstinence on the vigil of Christmas. Next comes “opekance-pupacky-bobalky” much like tiny biscuits made of yeast-leavened dough, sweetened with honey and sprinkled with a pleas-ant preparation of poppyseed. The use of poppyseed recalls a pagan tra-dition in which poppyseed was strewn at the portal in order that the evil spirits might be occupied with picking up each morsel and thus would not enter the house. Other foods eaten include dried prunes, pears, apples, nuts and St. John’s bread “Carob.” A potato pancake type of speciality known as “Lokse” is also enjoyed. The meal concludes with traditional Slovakian pastries, known as “Kolace” or strudel-like rolls made with walnuts, pop-pyseed, lekvar(prune) or cheese. Red wine completes the evening’s feast-ing. In addition to a place for every member of the family, a place is left vacant for the welcome traveler. In the rural villages of Slovakia, a shep-herd would call from house to house making his Christmas wish or “Vins” to all in the household:

On this glorious feastof the birthday of Christ our Lord,I wish you from God, good health,happiness and abundant blessings.

May it be yours to enjoycomfort from your children,

salvation for your soul, the kingdom of heaven after death,

and for the family’s welfare mayyou have whatever you ask of God.

The music and joyous spirit of the Slovak people adds much to the celebration of a truly “bountiful evening”!

- Daniel F. Tanzone

The Slovak ‘Bountiful Evening’


Report of the Supreme Secretary for the Month of October 2015

YOUR BENEFICIARIES

When was the last time you looked at your des ig nat ed ben e fi cia ries on your valu able Sokol insurance pol i cy? How im por tant is it? Just think about how much your life has changed. Have you mar ried, divorced, had chil dren, may be you lost a loved one? This is an item you should con sid er an nu al ly. If you do need to make chang es to any of your pol i cies, con tact the Home Of fi ce at 800-886-7656.

ASSETS YEAR TO DATE Cash - Senior Account $ 58,193.43Cash - Bank of Montreal 11,473.38Cash - Payroll Account 40,000.00 Petty Cash 315.00 Investments - Bonds & Bills 56,117,064.12 Investments - Stocks 8,460,523.11 Capital Reserve 4,819,464.95 Stock Adj. to Book Value 1,423,407.54 First Mortgage Loans 777,602.19 Loans on Certifi cates 122,863.72 Accrued Interest Receivable 719,437.00 Prepaid Expenses 30,723.11 Sokol Building 2,707,974.61 Land 204,108.00 Furniture & Fixtures 160,343.43 Computer 123,637.86 Sokol Baby Spoons 10,075.00 Due From Groups 18,771.12 Accounts Receivable 21,534.28 Non-Admitted Assets -166,073.00 TOTAL ASSETS $75,661,438.85

LIABILITIES AND RESERVES

YEAR TO DATE

Life Reserves $56,052,041.00 Reserve Dep. Furn. & Fixtures 150,508.34 Reserve Dep. Sokol Building 2,633,066.64 Asset Valuation Reserve 677,509.00 Interest Maintenance Reserve 159,457.00 Reserve for Supplemental Contracts 1,713,004.46 Reserve Emp. Retirement Plan 4,809,025.00 Reserve for Convention 84,567.42 Matured Endowments 85,526.24 Claims Payable 212,938.00 IBNR Payable 30,000.00 Conversion - Canadian Currency 6,682.40 Accounts Payable 64,731.80 Sokol Secure Fund 486,607.14 Mary Jane Rich Scholarship Fund 85,000.00 Emil Slavik Scholarship Fund 100,000.00 Dr’s Lesko Medical Scholarship Fund 20,000.00 Krista L Glugosh Memorial Scholarship Fund 24,000.00 Dividend Accum. At Interest 327,758.37 Dividend Payable 46,236.59 Advance Premiums 29,539.00 Premium Load 2,900.00

TOTAL LIABILITIES $67,801,098.40

Undistributed Funds - Sokol 7,860,340.45

TOTAL LIABILITIES & SURPLUS $75,661,438.85

INCOME

OCTOBER YEAR TO DATE

Interest on Bonds and Bills $ 244,644.72 $ 2,326,361.16 Interest Income Accrued 0.00 30,347.42 Accrued Interest Paid 0.00 -32,418.28 Amortization of IMR 0.00 23,057.00 Deferred Gain IMR 0.00 -32,981.00 Other Investment Income -6,000.00 4,803.09 Dividends on Stocks 24,301.51 245,981.69 Interest on Mortgages 5,512.08 60,530.21 Sale of Cookbooks 90.00 642.15 Rent Received - Sokol Building 1,420.00 26,055.00 Premium Income 111,759.86 1,375,843.09 Annuities 357,191.88 5,446,702.08 Miscellaneous Income -28,356.88 26,148.36 Sale of Securities/Amortization 24,183.30 126,731.53 TOTAL INCOME $723,746.47 $ 9,627,803.50

EXPENSES

OCTOBER YEAR TO DATE

Operating Expense - Sokol Building $ 5,473.89 $ 60,629.58 Building Maintenance & Repairs 2,214.55 7,475.72 Rental Area Expenses 128.21 1,854.23 Property Taxes - Sokol Building 28,033.69 110,255.31 Depreciation Sokol Building 311.52 3,115.20 Rent for Space 1,250.00 11,250.00 Pension Plan - Print 0.00 5,068.26 Salaries - Offi ce Employees 40,188.30 430,327.20 Salaries - Editorial Employees 5,341.20 67,591.20 P/R - Taxes Employer 2,898.64 33,617.40 Hospitalization 7,464.15 76,754.67 Workmen’s Compensation Insurance 2,160.21 8,548.11 Pension Plan - Offi ce/Offi cers 13,300.56 154,127.33 Offi ce Expense 1,146.60 16,116.06 Supreme President’s-Suppl./Postage 0.00 525.00 Computer Expense 1,980.00 24,720.09 Supreme Offi cers Travel 1,716.59 6,621.85 Supreme Auditors 0.00 9,901.85 Actuarial Expenses 7,378.00 51,759.00 Accountant Expenses 0.00 32,462.47 Postage-Offi ce 35.19 12,330.26 Telephone - Offi ce 370.02 4,429.82 Telephone - Editorial 86.90 1,140.53 Printing - Katolicky Sokol 2,625.00 29,250.00 Postage - Sokol Paper 5,240.00 27,015.00 Misc. Publication Expense -600.00 1,794.04 Other Printing 0.00 3,412.99 Other Legal Expenses 0.00 0.00 Death Benefi t Claims Paid 33,639.34 599,657.34 Cash Surrender Values Paid 24,082.52 218,646.78 Cash Surrender Conversions 604.23 2,304.68 Annuity Surrenders 185,341.73 2,091,041.51 Annuity Suppl. Contracts 0.00 25,000.00 Matured Endowments Paid 0.00 15,603.00 Reserve Increase 0.00 4,451,165.00 State Insurance Dept. Lic./Fee 0.00 5,133.93 Bank Charges - Bond Account 12,245.57 113,233.76 Dues & Subscription 0.00 2,233.85 Donations & Contributions 950.00 16,035.06 Slet -30,276.13 80,879.55 National Bowling Tournament 0.00 5,675.65 National Golf Tournament -2,694.74 5,126.91 Other Coaching, Insurance -72.10 2,898.44 Convention Expenses 8,949.55 8,949.55 Group Assessments Paid -527.75 34,939.92 Commission Expense 27,588.45 373,343.61 Annuity Commissions 1,596.04 128,158.81 Advertising/Promotions 1,468.38 5,603.18 Marketing Expense 1,025.38 5,843.88 Agency Expense 1,417.98 30,488.04 Board of Directors Expense 2,157.97 19,095.99 Physical Fitness Board Expense 0.00 12,812.58 Scholarship Expense -2,500.00 52,654.65 Salaries - Supreme Offi cers 0.00 28,162.50 Supreme Offi cers Insurance Bond 0.00 1,424.00 Fraternal Congress Expense 1,145.80 6,555.40 Local Fees/ Rebates -1,107.03 40,789.37 Interest Expense 844.46 10,643.78

TOTAL EXPENSES $ 394,622.87 $ 9,586,193.89

TOTAL INCOME (LOSS) $ 329,123.60 $ 41,609.61 ZDAR BOH! Steven M. Pogorelec, FIC Supreme Secretary Slovak Catholic Sokol


Report of the Supreme Secretary for the Month of November 2015

ASSETS YEAR TO DATE Cash - Senior Account $ 204,118.23 Cash - Bank of Montreal 12,282.61 Cash - Payroll Account 40,000.00 Petty Cash 490.00 Investments - Bonds & Bills 60,160,498.54 Investments - Stocks 8,855,798.99 Capital Reserve 629,152.34 Stock Adj. to Book Value 1,423,407.54 First Mortgage Loans 774,598.84 Loans on Certifi cates 123,511.37 Accrued Interest Receivable 719,437.00 Prepaid Expenses 31,375.11 Sokol Building 2,707,974.61 Land 204,108.00 Furniture & Fixtures 160,343.43 Computer 123,637.86 Sokol Baby Spoons 10,075.00 Due From Groups 8,236.66 Accounts Receivable 21,534.28 Non-Admitted Assets -166,073.00 TOTAL ASSETS $76,044,507.41

LIABILITIES AND RESERVES YEAR TO DATE Life Reserves $ 56,052,041.00 Reserve Dep. Furn. & Fixtures 150,508.34 Reserve Dep. Sokol Building 2,633,378.16 Asset Valuation Reserve 677,509.00 Interest Maintenance Reserve 159,457.00 Reserve for Supplemental Contracts 1,669,261.75 Reserve Emp. Retirement Plan 4,809,025.00 Reserve for Convention 84,567.42 Matured Endowments 85,526.24 Claims Payable 212,938.00 IBNR Payable 30,000.00 Conversion - Canadian Currency 6,682.40 Accounts Payable 64,871.80 Sokol Secure Fund 486,607.14 Mary Jane Rich Scholarship Fund 85,000.00 Emil Slavik Scholarship Fund 100,000.00 Dr’s Lesko Medical Scholarship Fund 20,000.00 Krista L Glugosh Memorial Scholarship Fund 24,000.00 Dividend Accum. At Interest 328,436.85 Dividend Payable 45,806.51 Advance Premiums 29,539.00 Premium Load 2,900.00 TOTAL LIABILITIES $67,758,055.61 Undistributed Funds - Sokol 8,286,451.80 TOTAL LIABILITIES & SURPLUS $76,044,507.41

INCOME

NOVEMBER YEAR TO DATE Interest on Bonds and Bills $ 254,651.07 $ 2,581,012.23 Interest Income Accrued 0.00 30,347.42 Accrued Interest Paid -28,527.39 -60,945.67 Amortization of IMR 0.00 23,057.00 Deferred Gain IMR 0.00 -32,981.00 Other Investment Income 0.00 4,803.09 Dividends on Stocks 17,380.58 263,362.27 Interest on Mortgages 3,996.12 64,526.33 Sale of Cookbooks 46.50 688.65 Rent Received - Sokol Building 4,385.00 30,440.00 Premium Income 160,009.69 1,535,852.78 Annuities 333,664.81 5,780,366.89 Miscellaneous Income 1,183.99 27,332.35 Sale of Securities/Amortization 15,517.36 142,248.89 TOTAL INCOME $ 762,307.73 $ 10,390,111.23

EXPENSES

NOVEMBER YEAR TO DATE

Operating Expense - Sokol Building $ 3,567.13 $ 64,196.71 Building Maintenance & Repairs 1,150.00 8,625.72 Rental Area Expenses 116.24 1,970.47 Property Taxes - Sokol Building 0.00 110,255.31 Depreciation Sokol Building 311.52 3,426.72 Rent for Space 1,250.00 12,500.00 Pension Plan - Print 563.14 5,631.40 Salaries - Offi ce Employees 41,008.90 471,336.10 Salaries - Editorial Employees 6,144.00 73,735.20 P/R - Taxes Employer 2,137.13 35,754.53 Hospitalization 6,292.24 83,046.91 Workmen’s Compensation Insurance 0.00 8,548.11 Pension Plan - Offi ce/Offi cers 12,668.76 166,796.09 Offi ce Expense 1,245.76 17,361.82 Supreme President’s-Suppl./Postage 925.00 1,450.00 Computer Expense 2,562.00 27,282.09 Supreme Offi cers Travel 252.00 6,873.85 Supreme Auditors 0.00 9,901.85 Actuarial Expenses 3,039.00 54,798.00 Accountant Expenses 2,600.00 35,062.47 Postage-Offi ce 99.85 12,430.11 Telephone - Offi ce 320.02 4,749.84 Telephone - Editorial 136.90 1,277.43 Printing - Katolicky Sokol 3,100.00 32,350.00 Postage - Sokol Paper 490.00 27,505.00 Misc. Publication Expense 0.00 1,794.04 Other Printing 0.00 3,412.99 Legal Expenses 300.00 300.00 Other Legal Expenses 0.00 -0.00 Death Benefi t Claims Paid 41,557.00 641,214.34 Cash Surrender Values Paid 18,466.46 237,113.24 Cash Surrender Conversions 0.00 2,304.68 Annuity Surrenders 40,620.08 2,131,661.59 Annuity Suppl. Contracts 0.00 25,000.00 Matured Endowments Paid 0.00 15,603.00 Reserve Increase 0.00 4,451,165.00State Insurance Dept. Lic./Fee 2,432.32 7,566.25 Bank Charges - Bond Account 11,200.90 124,434.66 Dues & Subscription 1,050.00 3,283.85 Donations & Contributions -10,225.00 5,810.06 Slet 0.00 80,879.55 National Bowling Tournament 0.00 5,675.65 National Golf Tournament 0.00 5,126.91 Other Coaching, Insurance 253.92 3,152.36 Convention Expenses 13,809.20 22,758.75 Group Assessments Paid 0.00 34,939.92 Commission Expense 32,446.82 405,790.43 Annuity Commissions 8,373.73 136,532.54 Advertising/Promotions 3,051.60 8,654.78 Marketing Expense 965.05 6,808.93 Agency Expense 4,814.81 35,302.85 Board of Directors Expense -101.20 18,994.79 Physical Fitness Board Expense 0.00 12,812.58 Scholarship Expense 2,750.00 55,404.65 Salaries - Supreme Offi cers 72,022.50 100,185.00 Supreme Offi cers Insurance Bond 0.00 1,424.00 Fraternal Congress Expense 2,022.50 8,577.90 Local Fees/ Rebates -744.01 40,045.36 Interest Expense 1,150.11 11,793.89 TOTAL EXPENSES $ 336,196.38 $ 9,922,390.27 TOTAL INCOME (LOSS) $ 426,111.35 $ 467,720.96 ZDAR BOH! Steven M. Pogorelec, FIC Supreme Secretary Slovak Catholic Sokol


GROUPS – ASSEMBLIES - WREATHS

SOKOL SECURE FUND - Money Market Account:

$10,000

$10,500

$11,000

$11,500

$12,000

$12,500

$13,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Sokol Secure Bank CD

Year

$10,000

$10,500

$11,000

$11,500

$12,000

$12,500

$13,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Sokol Secure Money Market

Year

Many of our assemblies, wreaths and groups today have their funds in checking accounts, money mar-ket accounts, bank certifi cate of de-posit (cd) and/or savings accounts which are currently earning little or no interest. For the past sev-eral years and into the near future these fi nancial vehicles have and will continue earn very low interest rates. Within the last couple of years the Slovak Catholic Sokol (Sokol) created the SOKOL SECURE FUND as a benefi t program that offers groups, assemblies, wreaths, churches or associations that are non-for-profi t and affi liated with the Slovak Catholic Sokol. The SOKOL SECURE FUND that is combination of a CD, money market fund and saving fund. The major difference that separates our fund from what banks and other fi nancial institutions offer is the fl exibility to add funds at any time, withdrawal funds without penalty and earn an outstanding and hard to beat 2.5% APY. In the event that interest rate should rise the SOKOL

SECURE FUND can increase per the approval by the Board of Di-rectors, whereas with a Bank CD the interest rate remains the same through the term of the CD contract period.

SOKOL SECURE FUND out performs Bank CD’s

Bank CD interest rates obvi-ously range differently between banking institutions and regions of the country. Recent rate numbers in the Pittsburgh region show that a 1-year CD earns .05%, a 2-year earns 1%. To earn an interest rate anywhere near 2% fi nancial insti-tutions will require you to tie your money up for at least 4 years. If an emergency occurs and the need to access these funds prior to the end of your CD term, be prepared to pay an early withdrawal fee. With a Sokol Secure Fund there is not a withdrawal fee. The only require-ment is to maintain a balance of $4,000. Following are two charts that compare the growing power of the SOKOL SECURE FUND as compared to a Bank CD and Mon-ey Market Account:

The SOKOL SECURE FUND This benefi t is titled SOKOL SECURE FUND, it is designed specifi cally for Not-For-Profi t Cor-porations with an Internal Revenue Service designation of 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(8) and cannot be used as an individual account. Currently this benefi t is only available to Groups, Assemblies and Wreaths, churches or associations that are non-for-profi t and affi liated with the Slovak Catholic Sokol.

How to open a SOKOL SECURE FUND

All that is required is to complete an application (SS0911 Application for Sokol Secure Fund) and a mini-mum deposit of $5,000.

Flexibility of Fund Since this benefi t is structured to be fl exible, additional deposits can be made at any time providing the minimum deposit is at least $100. The SOKOL SECURE FUND in-cludes the following features: No Loading Fees, No Withdrawal Pen-alties, High Liquidity and a Com-petitive Interest Rate of 2.5% APY.

SOKOL SECURE FUND – Bank CD:

Plan Features o No Loading Fees o No Withdrawal Penalties o High Liquidity o Competitive Interest Rate o FlexibilityMinimum Withdrawn - $250.00 Premium Deposit Options - FlexibleMinimum Initial Deposit - $5,000Minimum Balance - $4,000Guaranteed Minimum Interest Rate - 1% APYSurrender Period & Charges – NoneUnderwriting – Slovak Catholic Sokol Group, Assembly, Wreath, churches or associates with an affi liation with the Slo- vak Catholic Sokol that are Internal Revenue Service designation of 501(c) (3) or 501(c). For additional information or for SOKOL SECURE FUND Applica-tion and SOKOL SECURE FUND Withdrawal Form, please contact the Home Offi ce at 800-886-7656 or the Sales and Marketing Offi ce at 855-874-9179.

For administrative purposes, fund withdrawals are restricted to no more than four times a year, howev-er, remember there are no penalties on any withdrawal of funds. The minimum amount for a withdrawal is $250.00. Once the fund is es-tablished, a minimum balance of $4,000 must be maintained The interest rate is determined

on a quarterly basis by the Slovak Catholic Sokol Board of Direc-tors. They at that time consider the market and fi nancial conditions and may adjust the rate accordingly. The Slovak Catholic Sokol does not invest in “junk or low-grade securi-ties”. Over 85% of our portfolio is in high investment grade corporate bonds and government securities.

Father Charles Sperlak, retired pastor of SS. Cyr-il and Methodius Parish in Reading, Pa. passed away peace-fully on November 19 at Holy Family Villa for Priests in Beth-lehem, Pa. He was 78. A native of Jablonka, located in western Slovakia, he was born there March 5, 1937, son of the late Charles Sperlak and the for-mer Theresa Dubek. Father Sper-lak attended elementary school and high school in Jablonka. An-swering the call to priesthood, he found diffi culty in being ac-cepted in a seminary in his na-tive Czechoslovakia due to the Communist oppression during his youth. At the time only two seminaries were functioning in Czechoslovakia, one in the Czech lands and one in Slovakia. Deter-mined in his vocation, he chose to attend a seminary in Poland. He completed his theological stud-ies at the major seminary in the Diocese of Kielce in Poland. He was ordained a priest on June 20, 1964 by the Most Reverend Jan Jarosiewicz, Bishop of Kielce. He celebrated his fi rst Mass in his native village of Jablonka and then served briefl y in Poland. In 1968, Father Sperlak came to the United States. In 1969, he began his priestly ministry in the Dio-cese of Allentown Pennsylvania. His fi rst assignment in the diocese was as an assistant at St. John the Baptist Parish in Allentown. He was incardinated into the Al-lentown Diocese on November 2, 1971. He was named pastor

Rev. Charles Sperlak, Reading, Pa.Slovak pastor, passes away at age 78

of the former St. Stephen Slovak Parish in Shenandoah in 1974. He remained at St. Stephen’s un-til November 1991, when he was appointed pastor of SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Reading. Due to ill health, he retired as pastor of the Reading Slovak parish, effec-tive on October 5, 2015 taking up residence at the Holy Family Villa. His retirement was brief in that he passed away just a little more than a month later on November 19. During the course of his priestly ministry, Father Sperlak served as confessor to the Bernardine Sisters at St. Joseph Villa in Reading, Pa. The Vigil and Wake service for Father Sperlak was held on Sun-day evening, November 22 in SS. Cyril and Methodius Church with the Rev. Msgr. Dennis Hartgen, pastor of Holy Guardian Angels Parish in Reading and vicar forane

of the Berks County Deanery pre-siding. Homilist was Father Dom-inic Kalata, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Allentown. The Pontifi cal Mass of Chris-tian Burial was celebrated on Monday, November 23 at SS. Cyril and Methodius with the Most Reverend John A. Barres, Bishop of Allentown, as principal celebrant. Homilist was Father David Kozak, assistant pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Reading. Among the main concel-ebrants were Msgr. Thomas Orsu-lak, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Reading and administra-tor of SS. Cyril and Methodius; Msgr. Gerald Gobitas, secretary for clergy, chancellor and rector of Holy Family Villa; Rev. Andrew Grelek, pastor of St. Stanislaus, Chelsea, Pa. and Father Kozak. In-terment followed in Gethsemane Cemetery in Laureldale, Pa. Throughout his priestly min-istry among us, Father Sperlak beautifully mirrored our rich Cyrilo-Methodian heritage of faith. He was supportive of many of our Slovak Catholic fraternal and religious activities, in partic-ular of Assembly 261 and Wreath 155 of the Slovak Catholic Sokol in Reading. Under his leadership, the Reading parish gave gener-ously in support of the annual SS. Cyril and Methodius Appeal of the Slovak Catholic Federa-tion in support of the Church in Slovakia. May Father Sperlak’s priestly soul enjoy the beatifi c vi-sion. May he rest in peace. - Pho-to compliments of The A.D. Times

Rev. Charles Sperlak1937 - 2015, R.I.P.

ISSN: 0897-8107

Úradn¥ ™asopisSLOVENSKÉHO KATOLÍCKEHO SOKOLA

Zalo¢en¥ 15. apríla 1911 – Vychádza ka¢dú druhú stredu

Majitel« a vydavatel«:SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL

Daniel F. Tanzone, redaktor Telefónne ™íslo: (973) 777-4010

V£etky ™lánky, príspevky a správy treba posielat« na adresu:Editor, Slovak Catholic Sokol, P.O. Box 899

205 Madison Street, Passaic, New Jersey 07055

(Pokračovanie zo str. 20)

SLOVENSKÝ KATOLÍCKY SOKOL, 16. DECEMBRA 2015 PAGE 19

Vianočné medovníčky

iny... Po Štedrej večeri mnohí odchádzali do kostola, iní vyt-várali živý Betlehem a chodili spoločne koledovať z jedného konca dediny, na druhý. Aj my, tak ako betlehem-skí koledníci, Vám chceme adresovať naše prianie do všetkých kútov zeme, všade tam, kde žijú naši krajania. Zo sídla a

V stredu 28. novembra ot-vorili pre verjnosť Tatranský ľadový dóm na Hrebienku vo Vysokých Tatrách. Dva týždne, dvanásť hodín denne budovalo sedem sochárov tohtoročný Tatranský ľadový dóm. Je pos-tavený v barokovom štýle a je podstatne väčší oproti minulým rokom. Na jeho stavbu použili takmer 70 ton ľadu, ktorý dovie-zli z Poľska. Novinkou sú aj zamrznuté

Na Hrebienku slávnostne otvorili Tatranský ľadový dóm

kvety v ľade. Autorom a hlav-ným architektom atrakcie je ten-to rok slovenský sochár Adam Bakoš zo Spišskej Novej Vsi. Minulý rok navštívilo ľadový dóm 165-tisíc ľudí, a Tatranci veria, že tento rok sa podarí prekonať hranicu 200-tisíc náv-števníkov. Dóm patrí k naj-navštevovanejším atrakciám vo Vysokých Tatrách a písalo sa o ňom už aj v zahraničí. V Tatranskom ľadovom dó-

mu môžu byť aj svadby. Tak ako minulý rok, každú nedeľu sa tam budú konať hudobné vystúpenia a koncerty, ktoré už začali prvou adventnou nedeľou. Ak budú nižšie teploty aj za-čiatkom apríla, dóm ostane v pre-vádzke. Minulý rok mohli krásu tatranského dómu obdivovať návštevníci do marca. Tatran-ci už uvažujú nad tým, akým spôsobom by mohli atrakciu prevádzkovať počas celého roka.

Opátková večera v Clift one, NJ Spolok sv. mena Ježiš pri Kostole sv. Cyrila a Metoda usporiada v piatok 8. januára Oplátkovú večeru. Bude sa konať v kostolnej hale na 235 Ackerman Ave., v Clift one, NJ. Začiatok bude o 7.00 hodine. Cena za večeru pre dospelých je $25.00 a pre deti $10.00. Rezervácie: Peter, tel. č. 973-340-9078, alebo David, tel. č. 973-546-4864.

Vianočný pozdrav z Matice slovenskejsrdca Matice slovenskej, z Mar-tina, Vám chceme z úprimného srdca zaželať krásne, pokojné, radostné a najmä šťastné a veselé Vianoce, plné vzájomnej lásky a pokoja. Matica slovenská je hrdá na to, že i dnes, v roku 2015, udržujete slovenské zvyky a cítite sa byť Slovákmi. Šťastné a požehnané, milí krajania! – Zuzana Pavelcová

SUROVINY600 g hladkej múky2 vajcia125 g masla125 g rozpusteného medu200 g práškového cukru1 kávová lyž. škorice1 kávová lyž. sóda bikarbóna1 kávová lyž. mletých klinčekov2 žĺtky2 polievkové lyžice mlieka

POSTUP Na doske zmiešame hladkú múku so sódou bikarbónou, škoricou a mletými klinčekmi. Pridáme vajcia, maslo, roz-pustený med a práškový cukor. Dôkladne vpracujeme na tuhšie cesto, ktoré necháme jeden deň odpočívať v chladničke. Cesto vyvaľkáme na 5 mm a vykrajujeme rôzne tvary, pot-rieme žĺtkami rozmiešanými s mliekom. Dáme piecť na ple-chu vyloženom papierom na pečenie v mierne vyhriatej rúre len krátko, aby sa medovníky nevysušili.

Slovenský betlehem je monumentálne rezbárske dielo rezbára Jozefa Pekaru, umiestnené v Dome Božieho milosrdenstva v Rajeckej Lesnej. Nádherná expozícia nezobrazuje iba Kristovo narodenie, ale aj dejiny slovenského národa. Betlehem je zapra-covaný do scenérie najvýznamnejších slovenských pamiatok - je tu stvárnený bežný život, aj pracovné činnosti slovenského ľudu v minulosti. Majster Pekara na ňom začal pracovať v roku 1980. Verejnosť túto úžasnú prácu však mohla po prvýkrát zazrieť až o pätnásť rokov, čiže v roku 1995.

...prvé vianočné karty vytlačila v roku 1840 tlačiareň Charlesa Drummonda v škótskom Edin-burgu. Bol to iba jednoduchý lístok a na ňom odkaz: Príjemné sviatky! Prvú ozajstnú maľovanú pohľadnicu predával sir Henry Cole v roku 1848 v Londýne. Motív bol trochu kontroverzný – maliar John Callot Horsley na ňu namaľoval šťastnú rodinku, rodičov s deťmi, ktorí si štrngajú s pohármi plnými vína. Prvá vianočná pohľadnica sa predala v náklade tisíc kusov a stala sa hitom vtedajších Vianoc. Odvte-dy sa vianočné pohľadnice rozší-rili do celého sveta a po čase k nim pribudla aj móda vydávať špeciálne vianočné poštové známky....tradícia ozdobovania strom-čekov pochádza z nemeckých miest. Stromček sa najprv ne-zdobil sviečkami. Jedna z prvých správ o ozdobenom a osvetle-nom vianočnom stromčeku v miestnosti je v brémskej kronike z roku 1570. Ozdobené vianočné stromčeky sa najskôr nachádzali v cechovných a remeselníc-kych domoch. Do súkromných priestorov začali prenikať až v polovici 17. storočia. V 18. a 19. storočí sa rozšírili aj do iných štátov. Najprv sa ujali v mestách, neskôr na vidieku....na Slovensko (kde nadvia-zali na starší zvyk ozdobovať budovy zelenými vetvičkami a prútmi) začali vianočné strom-čeky prenikať do miest kon-com 18. storočia z Nemecka a Rakúska, do roľníckej kultúry od konca 19. do 30. rokov 20. storočia, na severovýchodné Slovensko neskôr. Začiatkom 20. stor. sa pod stromček začali dávať darčeky pre členov rodiny. Okrem vianočného stromčeka

sa do polovice 20. stor. zacho-vali v tradícii aj staršie obradové predmety, napríklad posled-ný snop, slamený stromček a podobne. Vianočný stromček sa v súčasnosti ponecháva v dome obyčajne do Troch kráľov....Tichá noc, svätá noc je jed-na z najznámejších kolied. Po prvýkrát ju uviedli arnsdorfský učiteľ a organista Franz Xaver Gruber a kaplán Joseph Mohr v kostole sv. Mikuláša v Obern-dorfe pri Salzburgu 24. decem-bra 1818. Text piesne napísal Mohr už roku 1816 vo farnosti Mariapfarr. Gruber skompo-noval pred Vianocami 1818 k jeho básni melódiu. Pieseň sa okamžite stala veľmi populár-nou, hoci bola prvýkrát pred-stavená len v sprievode gitary. Dnes je preložená do 300 ja-zykov a nárečí. Stille-Nacht-Kapelle (Kaplnka Tichej noci) v Oberndorfe je dnes turistickou atrakciou....presný dátum narodenia Ježiša Krista nie je známy. To, že týmto dňom bude ofi ciálne 25. decem-ber, určil až v roku 350 pápež Jú-lius I. Tento dátum bol vybraný zrejme preto, že sa zhodoval s pohanským sviatkom saturnálií, ktorý sa slávil v antickom Ríme a oslavoval boha Saturna. A práve oslavy saturnálií boli podľa niek-torých názorov v kresťanskej do-be pretransformované do oslavy Vianoc....tradičnými vianočnými far-bami sú zelená, červená a zlatá. Zelená, zastúpená v podobe stromčeka, imela alebo cez-mínu, je symbolom života a zno-vuzrodenia. Červené bobule cezmínu predstavujú Kristovu krv, červené jablká odkazujú na Adama. A zlatá zastupuje svetlo a hviezdy.

VEDELI STE, ŽE...

ÚRADNÝ ČASOPIS SLOVENSKÉHO KATOLÍCKEHO SOKOLA - 28 000 ČLENOV - HLAVNÁ ÚRADOVŇA: 205 MADISON STREET, PASSAIC, NJ 07055 – www.slovakcatholicsokol.org

VOLUME CIV PASSAIC, N.J., 16. DECEMBRA 2015 ČÍSLO 5058

SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON

Za Boha a národ For God and Nation

(Pokračovanie na str. 19)

Na cesty sa sype ťažký čerstvý sneh, plný mesiac sa skvie medzi miliónmi zlatých, strieborných i bronzovo-žltých hviezd a ľu-dia, z takmer celého sveta, v teple domova, ticho, túžobne i radostne očakávajú začiatok najkrajších sviatkov roka – sviat-kov vianočných. Práve v tomto čase si matičiari intenzívnejšie pripomínajú, že slovenský svet sa nerozprestiera iba od Bratislavy po Košice, ale jeho hranice objímajú takmer celý svet. V starých archívnych dokumentoch sa neraz nájde fotografi a slovenskej rodiny, ktorá oslavuje slovenské Vianoce v Austrálii, zámorí, na Dolnej Zemi či v inom meste Európy. Zdá sa, že z tradícií, ktoré si mladí Slováci odnášali z domov-iny, boli azda najdominantnejšie práve tie, ktoré sa praktizovali v magickom čase vianočnom. Naši krajania, či už tí, čo v inej zemi žili 200,100 alebo iba 10 rokov na svoje korene nezabudli. Mnohí z nich si spomínajú na tradičné Vianoce, ktoré zažili ešte s ich prastarými rodičmi v neslovenskej krajine alebo si spomínajú na tie, ktoré zažili v časoch, keď ešte žili na Sloven-sku. Vianoce sú azda najkrajší

Vianočný pozdrav z Matice slovenskejkresťanský sviatok. Človek k človeku má v tomto čase bližšie, v hrudiach bijú slovenské srdcia hlasnejšie, náruč sa otvára širšie, ruky viac hladia, ústa viac chvá-lia... Pre slovenskú náturu však celoročne ostáva typické, že si z pokolenia na pokolenie zacho-vávame svoje zvyky, lipneme na starootcovskom dedičstve a nez-abúdame na tradičné... Mnohí z krajanov ešte stále na stromčekoch majú zavesených vyrezávaných drevených anje-likov, krehké bábiky zo šúpolia, kúsky sušeného ovocie, vlašské oriešky, voskové sviece a na štedrovečernom stole sa tkvie krásna, slovenská výšivka. Podľa starých zvykov je pod ňou ukrytá šupina z kapra – pre bohatstvo a na nej sú položené misky s cesnakom, medom, oplátkami, jablkom i trúnkom – pre zdravie i poslušnosť. A poznáte poveru s orechovou škrupinkou? Keď sa vlašský orech rozpolil, položila sa škru-pina na vodu a tomu, komu odplávala najďalej, predpovedala odchod do cudziny. Kto vie, či sa takáto predpoveď ukázala i našim krajanom, ktorých osud zavial ďaleko od svojej domov-

Takmer sto detí z detských domovov privítal 2. decembra v Bratislave prezident Slovenskej republiky Andrej Kiska. Grassalkovičov palác na Hodžovom námestí bol miestom mikulášskej nádielky pre deti z detských domovov Spišská Belá, Dobšiná, Kolárovo, Valaská a Domova detí sv. Antona z Rohožníka. Medzi malých návštevníkov následne zavítal očakávaný Mikuláš v tradičnom kostýme. Spolu s anjelom a čertom odmenil všetky deti sladkými balíčkami. Ešte predtým si však prítomní vypočuli básničky a pesničky v podaní detí, ktoré umocnili predvianočnú atmosféru v Prezidentskom paláci. - Foto: TASR

Blížia sa Vianoce - najkrajšie sviatky roka, sviatky pokoja, ra-dosti, hojnosti, kedy oslavujeme narodenie Ježiša Krista. Mnohí si z detstva si pamätáme vianočné zvyky, ktoré majú svoje čaro a dodržiavame ich dodnes. ŠTEDRÁ VEČERA – sa ne-sie v duchu štedrosti a hojnosti. V minulosti sa pod biely obrus dávali peniaze a nechávali sa tam počas celých sviatkov. Boli symbolom bohatstva a mali zabrániť, aby do domu prišla chudoba. Starý zvyk vyžadoval, aby všetko čo sa bude jesť bolo vyložené na štedrovečernom stole. Jedlo prinášala na stôl len jedna osoba – zvyčajne gazdiná, ktorá počas večere nesmela vstať od stola, aby jej sliepky neprestali kvokať. Niektorí túto tradíciu dodržiavajú aj dnes. Zo všetkých jedál, ktoré sa podávajú, má každý člen rodiny aspoň ochutnať, aby rodina pokojne a usporiadane spolunažívala. V minulosti sa jedlá po večeri neodkladali zo stola, ostávali na ňom obvykle do nasledujúceho rána. Štedrovečerná hostina sa vždy začínala prípitkom, ktorým bolo víno alebo pálenka. Po prípitku

Vianočné zvyky a tradície na Slovenskusa podával chlieb alebo vianočka s cesnakom. Ľudia verili, že ces-nak im prinesie zdravie po celý nasledujúci rok. V súčasnosti sa namiesto chleba a vianočky podávajú oplátky s medom a cesnakom. Oplátky sú symbolom pokoja a radosti, pre kresťanov majú symbolický význam – telo Kristovo na úvod večere, cesnak má zabezpečiť zdravie pre celú rodinu a med, ktorému sa odjakživa pripisovala magická moc, má posilňovať lásku a dobré vzťahy v rodine. Ďalším chodom sú opekance (bobaľky, pupáky) s makom a medom. Pečú sa z kysnutého chlebového cesta, zalejú sa vria-cim mliekom alebo vodou, aby zmäkli a posypú sa makom a ochutia medom. Sú najstarším vianočným jedlom. Po predjedle prichádza na rad kapustnica. V niektorých ro-dinách sa namiesto kapustnice varí šošovicová alebo fazuľová polievka. Podľa tradície konzumácia stru-kovín pomôže znásobiť rodinný majetok. V niektorých regiónoch sa jedáva aj rybacia polievka. Hlavným chodom je kapor, najčastejšie vyprážaný, ktorý sa

podáva so zemiakovým šalátom. PRESTIERANIE NAVYŠE je symbol milosrdenstva. V nie-ktorých rodinách sa doteraz pres-tiera pre jedného navyše, aby sa mohol pohostiť pocestný. VEŠTENIE Z JABLKA – ak sa po rozkrojení jablka objaví hviezdička, znamená to šťastie a zdravie. Ak sa objaví krížik chorobu a smrť. Jablko sa po-tom rozkrája podľa počtu členov rodiny, čo symbolizuje ucelenosť rodiny. ORECHY V KÚTOCH – po večeri ich do každého kúta rozhádže najstrarší člen rodiny, aby bola v dome hojnosť počas celého roka. ŠUPINY Z KAPRA – symbol bohatstva. Šupiny vložené do peňaženky majú zabezpečiť, aby sme netrpeli počas nasledujúce-ho roka núdzou a aby sa peniažky len tak sypali. PENIAZE POD OBRU-SOM – majú zabezpečiť, aby sa nasledujúci rok peniaze v rodine rozmnožili a pribudlo ich. KRÍŽIK MEDOM NA ČELO – urobí ho hlava rodiny každému členovi rodiny, aby ho po celý rok ochraňovali anjeli.

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